Phil Robertson Suspended From ‘Duck Dynasty’

Phil Robertson, star of A&E's Duck Dynasty, has been placed on indefinite filming hiatus, announced the A&E parent company A+E Networks on Wednesday.

The move comes in the wake of the controversial remarks Robertson made to GQ magazine about homosexuality in the mag's January 2014 issue.

"We are extremely disappointed to have read Phil Robertson's comments in GQ, which are based on his own personal beliefs and are not reflected in the series Duck Dynasty," A+E Networks, parent company of A&E, said in a statement. "His personal views in no way reflect those of A+E Networks, who have always been strong supporters and champions of the LGBT community. The network has placed Phil under hiatus from filming indefinitely."

Robertson, the patriarch of the Louisiana clan and the founder of Duck Commander, described homosexuality to GQ as a gateway to beastiality, and declared that, as a man, vaginal sex with a woman was "more desirable" than anal sex with a man, adding, "There's more there! She's got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I'm saying? But hey, sin: It's not logical, my man. It's just not logical."

Duck Dynasty has been a ratings success for A&E. Its season 4 premiere on Aug. 14 drew a 5.0 rating among adults 18-49 and 11.77 million total viewers.