Bella Robertson and her husband, Jacob Mayo, opened up about their challenges with infertility and the toll of public scrutiny ahead of the premiere of A&E’s “Duck Dynasty: The Revival.”
In a recent interview, Robertson, 22, opened up about the couple’s decision to share their journey to parenthood on the upcoming reality series, marking the first time they have publicly discussed their fertility struggles.
“I think people just don’t know what they’re talking about or who they’re talking to,” she told Us Weekly. “We share a story of infertility in the show and that’s something that we haven’t really shared publicly that much, but that’s something that others just don’t know. When you just look at someone on social media, you can’t know what anyone’s going through.”
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know.
Robertson and Mayo, 26, were married in June 2021 on a farm in Louisiana. Since their wedding, the duo said they’ve faced ongoing questions from fans about when they plan to have children. The couple says those comments, while often well-intentioned, have been difficult to process.
“I think what we’ve learned in marriage — and you’ll see in our story in the show — is that I wish getting pregnant and having kids was as easy as people act like it is,” Jacob, who is the owner of the General Vintage Clothing store, said. “Just, ‘Oh, I can just pop out a kid’ or ‘If we want to wait, we get to choose to wait.’ It’s not that transactional of a thing.”
“I think that’s kind of the reason when people say stuff, it’s just like, if it was easy or if it was easy not to, we would,” he added. “But it’s not that simple, I would say.”
Robertson echoed that sentiment, saying, “When people comment about us having kids, we’re like, ‘Trust me, you don’t have to ask us.’”
Robertson, the youngest daughter of “Duck Dynasty” stars Willie and Korie Robertson, rose to fame when the original series premiered on A&E in 2012. The show followed the lives of the Robertson family, known for their overt Christian faith and duck call business, Duck Commander. It ran for 11 seasons before ending in 2017.
Now, the family is returning to television in “Duck Dynasty: The Revival,” a new series that brings viewers back into the lives of Willie and Korie’s children and grandchildren.
Bella and Jacob said they initially hesitated to discuss their fertility journey on camera but ultimately decided to share their experience to help others who might be facing similar challenges.
“It was not an easy decision,” Robertson said. “I don’t think we necessarily intended on sharing it even, but it felt right. … This is just one of the ways that we are showing up and being our authentic selves on this new show.”
She added, “I think that we both felt like if we could help anybody — especially, what are the odds that we’re on this stage where we can share something that is so real for so many?”
According to statistics from the World Health Organization, around 17.5% of the adult population — roughly 1 in 6 worldwide — experience infertility. In the U.S., about 11% of women and about 9% of men of childbearing age have infertility.
In a recent interview with The Christian Post, author and speaker DawnCheré Wilkerson, who leads VOUS Church with her husband, Rich Wilkerson Jr., opened up about the couple’s eight-year battle with infertility.
“It was a very personal journey,” she said. “And I discovered in the wait that it’s the temptation for all of us to isolate and think we can just handle it on our own.”
Wilkerson, who now shares four children with her husband, offered encouragement to those who’ve walked through miscarriage, stillbirth or the heartbreak of an unfulfilled longing.
“I would encourage anyone going through loss to not isolate,” she said. “It’s not about the words that are said but about having people who love you stand with you.”
She recalled her time in Israel, where she learned that Jesus’ Words — “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” — were not just about divine consolation but about communal support.
“You’re blessed when you’re part of the community of God,” she says. “Because even in your deepest, darkest pain, you will receive comfort from those around you.”
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
