9 biggest bombshells from Jep and Jessica Robertson's new book: From belt whippings to porn addiction
Duck Dynasty stars Jep and Jessica Roberts' forth-coming book The Good, The Bad, and the Grace of God: What Honesty and Pain Taught Us About Faith, Family and Forgiveness details some of the couple's painful past memories, as well as sweet, heartfelt recollections of love and emotional growth.
The book, written by both Jep and Jessica and switching between their points of view in alternating chapters, weaves a fascinating story of the journey of two people, the obstacles they've faced and the wildly wonderful and beautiful bizarre moments that have made them who they are.
Here's a look at some of the biggest bombshells and more revealing recollections from The Good, The Bad, and the Grace of God...
WATCH: Exclusive: 'Duck Dynasty' Star Jep Robertson Reveals Childhood Sexual Abuse Claims
1. Phil allegedly whipped his kids with a belt for misbehaving, then quoted scripture afterwards
In the book, Jep talks about his father Phil Robertson's discipline technique, which Jep claimed involved giving his children "three licks on the butt from [his] belt." While Jep said the punishment wasn't too bad, he claims that sometimes his dad would dole out what Jep called a "syllable" whipping. "In between licks, he'd say, 'I. Can't. Believe. You. Did. That!' I would always cry. My dad's a big dude. But he'd always say 'I love ya' and quote some scripture about training or discipline." Jep added that he always knew his dad "was doing the licks to teach us how to behave, and I always respected him."
2. Jessica became romantically involved with youth minister when she was 17
Jessica spoke in the memoir about starting a relationship with her church's youth minister, who was in his mid-twenties, when she was only 17. According to Jessica, the minister called her into his office one day and told her that he liked her. Jessica said it made her feel very confused, but, "For a girl who didn't feel good or thin or pretty enough, it was a powerful feeling to be noticed and chosen." Jessica claims they began secretly dating until she turned 18, when they became open about their relationship, despite Jessica's concerns and hesitations.
3. Jep tried every drug imaginable, from a "wet daddy" to weed laced with LSD
In the book, Jep detailed "one of the dumbest things" he tried – a "wet daddy," which is "a joint soaked in formaldehyde that had been stolen from a funeral home." Apparently nothing was off the table when it came to drugs. Jep revealed that he tried everything "anybody gave to me" – from "a whipped cream can or a hit or LSD in some weed."
4. Once, Jep woke up with "big bloody scratches" on the side of the road – and no idea how he got there
Jep recalled going to a Halloween party his freshman year of college and bumping into a guy he recognized from his brother's Bible study class. The two talked about "getting stone drunk" and "taking a whole lot of drugs," before Jep woke up the following morning "sprawled on the side of a gravel road" with no recollection of what happened and how he even got there. "I was cold, hungover, all skinned up with big bloody scratches, and lying on my back with one leg still hanging in the open door of my big green Chevy pickup truck," he wrote, later adding, "It was like a black hole in my mind, and I hoped I hadn't run over somebody or hit something."
5. Jessica was kicked out of the house for beating Jep in Battleship
Seems Jep isn't one to take losing lightly. After Jessica won a game of Battleship (her first ever) Jep kicked her out of the house. "I want you to leave this house right now," she recalled him saying – and she did. She found out later that the Robertson family was uber-competitive when it came to games like Monopoly and dominoes "and played for blood."
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6. Jep and Jessica ate at an Olive Garden on their wedding night and spent their honeymoon doing a 2,000-piece puzzle
According to Jessica, the couple couldn't afford to have a traditional honeymoon. So, after their small, intimate wedding, Jep and Jessica went into town and shared a wedding night meal at The Olive Garden. "I'm sure Jep ordered the Tour of Italy platter, his favorite," Jessica recalled, adding that she likely only ordered a soup and salad. After dinner, the couple continued the celebration by purchasing a 2,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. They spent their honeymoon week in their new trailer, laughing and working on the puzzle together. At the end of the week, Jessica framed it to commemorate their sweet time together.
7. They found out Jess was pregnant after Jep stabbed himself with a knife trying to kill a wasp.
Jep explained how he was working on a duck call when a wasp flew in the room. Somehow, in the process of swatting at the wasp with a fly swatter he managed to stab himself in the wrist with a rusty knife, severing a vein and causing major damage. Jessica drove him to the hospital where she later fainted, prompting the couple to take a pregnancy test later that week.
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8. Jep struggled with a pornography addiction that almost cost him his marriage
Jessica revealed that, during a rough patch in their marriage, she walked in on Jep viewing porn, and the knowledge of this shook her to her core. "He'd been struggling our whole marriage with an addiction to pornography. I felt completely rejected. I'm not worthy of love, I thought. It was my worst nightmare coming true."
9. Jep says he was the victim of childhood sexual abuse, beginning when he was six years old
Jep got very candid in the book, talking frankly about the sexual abuse he claims he endured, when he was six, from "an older girl" on his school bus. "She'd take my hands and push them up under her shirt and tell me I was tickling her. Then she started making me pull down my pants. It was awkward. I didn't know what was going on, but I knew something wasn't right... I became more and more confused and scared. I moved to different seats and even tried sitting up by the bus driver, who didn't seem to have a clue what was going on."
"I didn't tell anyone because I was embarrassed and ashamed," Jep added in the book. He recounted how the girl became more and more violent and aggressive, allegedly threating Jep and terrorizing him into compliance. "I still didn't tell anyone, and I didn't see a way out, so I started pretending I was sick some days so I didn't have to go to school. My mom didn't know why."
NEWS: 'Duck Dynasty' Star Jep Robertson: 'I About Died'
Recently, Jep sat down for an exclusive interview with ET, where he opened up about the sexual abuse he says he faced when he was a child. Watch the video below to hear more from Jep about his experience, and how coming to terms with it helped to strengthen his marriage.
The Good, the Bad, and the Grace of God will be available June 23. Duck Dynasty will return to A&E on Wednesday, June 24 at 9:30PM ET/PT.
