Despite Phil Robertson's 'indefinite hiatus' from the A&E hit reality show Duck Dynasty following anti-gay remarks he made in a GQ interview, the network has no plans on removing him from unaired episodes that have already been filmed. Entertainment Weekly reports:
A source close to the situation confirmed that when the network resumes airing new episodes of Duck Dynasty starting Jan. 15, footage featuring the Robertson patriarch will indeed remain intact. The network also hopes the media and fan furor will cool down over the holidays and that tensions over shooting future episodes can then be resolved.
"There's no negotiations to have; we're doing the show," said an insider close to the situation. "We'll figure out a solution. It's just not going to happen overnight. Everybody will take a break for the holidays and regroup afterward. That's probably the smartest thing for everyone to do. Time heals a lot of wounds."
The Robertson family hasn't sounded as optimistic, with a source close to the Louisiana duck call clan telling E! "They're an extremely tight-knit family and they're not going to let this get in the way. [Phil] is the reason for their success – they're not going to abandon him. They're also not about to let anyone threaten their religious beliefs." A representative for the family could not be reached for comment.
