There's no harm in being emotional — I wish Duck Dynasty: The Revival star Willie Robertson understood that

A&E's Duck Dynasty: The Revival debuted on June 1, 2025. After an eight-year hiatus, the Robertsons returned on screen with a new series, starring Willie and his wife, Korie, and their children and grandchildren. It premiered days after the Robertson family shared the news about their patriarch, Phil Robertson's death on May 25, 2025. He passed away after battling an early onset of Alzheimer's.

In the premiere of Duck Dynasty: The Revival, which was filmed before Phil's death, Korie and Willie spoke about the late cast member's health battle. While both were concerned, Willie, in particular, became teary-eyed while talking about his father's condition. However, he tried to put on a strong front. When Korie found him breaking down in tears, Willie quipped, saying:

"Those are the strongest onions. They're burning the crap out of my eyes."

The Duck Dynasty: The Revival star quickly turned the attention away from his emotions and onto the onions that he cut while preparing dinner for his family. He refused to admit that he was crying about Phil, or that he was getting emotional wondering about the uncertain future in his father's absence. He brushed off his emotional outburst as something else.

While I agree that everyone has their way of processing grief and pain, I do not recommend suppressing emotions. I do not know why Willie refused to admit he was emotional, but I wish he had let it out. Maybe he felt that showing emotions was less masculine, or perhaps he was uncomfortable expressing himself on camera.

Whatever the case may be, I hope Willie understands that it is neither emasculating nor degrading to cry or be vulnerable.

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Duck Dynasty: The Revival star Korie says it's not common for the Robertsons to talk about their feelings

In episode 1 of Duck Dynasty: The Revival, Korie explained in a confessional that Phil's health battle had "been a struggle" for all of them. She knew it had taken a toll on Willie and that it made him "think really hard about his own legacy."

Irrespective of how strong the onions were, I believe Korie when she said Willie was affected by Phil's deteriorating health. I know his tears were for Phil, no matter how desperately Willie tried to dismiss it. I genuinely wish that Willie had realized and openly embraced the cathartic feeling of an emotional outburst. Suppressing feelings and allowing them to pile up is certainly never the solution.

Korie, like any other wife, could read her husband like a book and knew that he felt overwhelmed with the state of things around him. Consequently, she prodded him, hoping he would express his concerns and let out everything he kept chained within himself.

"I think maybe you've been going through a few things right now because we're in that middle place of taking care of aging parents and taking care of kids and grandkids still," she said.

She then mentioned:

"I know it's not very Robertson to talk about your feelings, but you can talk about your feelings."

It proves that it was unusual and untraditional for the Robertsons to convey their feelings. It makes me wonder if they considered it emasculating or demeaning.

I understand that the Duck Dynasty: The Revival stars come from a profession that requires physical strength and a level of hardiness to work efficiently in the wilderness, and that may be the reason why they choose to keep their emotions in the back seat: to combat the challenges of hunting bravely.

However, it is nothing but a societal and emotional stigma that says if one wants to appear masculine or strong, they should not express their feelings.

Korie correctly pointed out that Willie had "so much" on his plate that it made sense for him to shed a few tears. But Willie thought otherwise. He refused to acknowledge his emotional turmoil, dismissing it with an unconvincing reference to the onions.

I did not believe the Duck Dynasty: The Revival star when he said that he was "totally fine," considering he was dealing with Phil's health and his own semi-retirement.

I genuinely hope the Duck Dynasty: The Revival alum understands the power of emotions and why it is important to let them out instead of allowing them to breed within. No matter how unconventional it was for the Robertsons, there is no harm in being emotional.

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Duck Dynasty: The Revival episodes air every Sunday at 9 pm ET exclusively on A&E.