US: Son of homophobic Duck Dynasty patriarch says father was really about ‘God’s love’

Willie Robertson, the son of the homophobic Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson, has defended his father’s anti-gay comments made last year, saying they were about “forgiveness, ultimately.”

Last year, Phil Robertson was temporarily suspended from the show when he questioned in an interview to GQ why gay men would prefer “a man’s anus” over a vagina.

After refusing to apologise for the controversy, he later went on to say  “we are not going to procreate the human race unless we have a man and a woman.”

In a recent interview with CNN however, his son, Willie Robertson, has defended the comments, saying he didn’t mean any disrespect or to encourage hate.

He said: “I believe what the Bible says. That’s what he says to put those in. Now, you have to read the Bible and make up your own mind.

“We don’t profess to be God and we certainly don’t profess to be perfect, because we have our own sins we deal with.”

Willie’s wife, Korie added: “Anybody who knows him – any gay, straight, black, white – anybody who knows Phil knows that [his message] is about love.

“God’s love, and God’s grace, and God’s forgiveness, ultimately.”

In a video which reemerged last year, Phil Robertson advocates for marrying girls when they are 15 or 16 years old.

One Direction singer Liam Payne faced backlash on Twitter earlier this year after sending a message of support to Willie Robertson which praises “the family values you still all behold.”

• TV
• May 11

All 13 seasons of Doctor Who ranked from worst to best