Top 10 Behind the Scenes Dr. Phil Scandals
For this list, we'll be looking at the biggest scandals that have plagued the production of Dr. Phil's self-titled talk-show.
“Dr. Phil” can certainly be entertaining, but it is also incredibly shady. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 behind the scenes “Dr. Phil” scandals.
For this list, we’ll be looking at the biggest scandals that have plagued the production of Dr. Phil’s self-titled talk-show.
#10: Locking Employees in a Meeting
By the sounds of this story, the “Dr. Phil” office is not the greatest place in the world to work. A former employee named Leah Rothman sued Dr. Phil in 2016 for false imprisonment and wrongful termination. According to her, Dr. Phil grew so enraged after someone allegedly leaked information to the press that he locked employees in a meeting, screamed profanities at them, and threatened them by saying, “If you f--- with me, I’ll f--- with you!” Rothman subsequently went to HR to discuss the issue, only for them to side with Dr. Phil. According to Rothman, she was “forced to quit her job,” eventually leading to the 2016 lawsuit.
#9: “Chasing” Guests
No, we don’t mean that Dr. Phil literally chases guests around the set. In this case, “chasing” refers to allegations that Dr. Phil and his producers scour the internet for the most tragic and attention-grabbing stories. This can reportedly involve manipulating guests and their families, persuading troubled people to appear on his show, and exploiting mental illness for ratings and profit, which we’ll certainly get into later. Dr. Jeff Sugar, an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of Southern California, calls his tactics “callous and inexcusable”. According to him, “Dr. Phil shows us that there is no depth below which he will not sink to improve his ratings.”
#8: Shady Weight Loss Program
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Turns out that Dr. Phil is a modern-day huckster. Beginning in 2003, Phil released a shady and unscientific weight loss program whose supplements cost $120 a month. The business included the usual things like shakes and energy bars, and it was peddled on air by Phil’s own family members. When the testimonials are from the creator’s family, you know something is fishy! The program was immediately pegged by experts as being total nonsense, and it was shelved in response to an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission. Phil was later sued by those who bought his products, and he settled a class action lawsuit for $10.5 million.
#7: Criticism of His Methods
Experts were quick to point out that Phil isn’t a physician in response to his weight loss program. Turns out, many of his colleagues don’t consider him much of a psychologist, either, describing his methods as simplistic and ineffective. We mentioned that Dr. Jeff Sugar isn’t a fan, but neither is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, who has called his therapy “unethical” and “incredibly irresponsible.” They’ve accused him of “a breach of professional ethics” by making bold assessments without proper evaluation, even insinuating that a problematic child showed tendencies of a serial killer such as Jeffrey Dahmer. Needless to say, NAMI was not happy about that particular diagnosis.
#6: He Doesn’t Have a License to Practice Psychology
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For those of you who look to Dr. Phil for psychological advice, just remember that his very status as a psychologist has been brought into question. In 2006, Phil surrendered his psychology license in Texas following numerous controversies and ethical malpractices. This includes an ethics charge by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists in 1988 after Phil hired a former patient in a part-time capacity. He does not currently hold a license. Practicing psychology without a license is a felony in California, but Phil gets around this with extensive paperwork stating that his guests are merely getting “advice” and not legitimate psychological help.
#5: The Kalpoe Lawsuit
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In 2005, a recent high school graduate named Natalee Holloway went missing in the Caribbean. The last people to see her alive were local residents Joran van der Sloot and brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe. Despite being arrested on suspicion, the Kalpoe brothers were never charged with a crime due to a lack of evidence. The brothers later sued for defamation, stating that their segment “was manipulated and later broadcast…as being accurate.” Specifically, the show had used a hidden camera interview edited to change their responses. The case was later dismissed only one week before the trial was to begin. To this day, Holloway’s disappearance remains unsolved, and she was declared legally dead in absentia in 2012.
#4: Bailing a Criminal Out of Jail
This is a fantastic example of the show chasing guests. Back in 2008, a producer for the show bailed teenager Mercades Nichols out of jail for $30,000. Nichols was one of eight teenagers who had been arrested after viciously beating another teenager and filming the altercation. The teens were facing charges of misdemeanor battery, kidnapping, and witness tampering. However, the show decided to drop Nichols from their program following a public outcry. According to the show’s spokeswoman, Terri Corigliano, “Certain staff members went beyond [the show’s] guidelines” in bailing a criminal out of jail. Terri also stated that the employees were spoken to and that the show’s guidelines were reiterated. So, nothing really happened, then?
#3: Exploiting Celebrities & Mental Illness
Dr. Phil has been criticized on numerous occasions regarding his approach to mentally ill celebrities. When Britney Spears was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Dr. Phil showed up at her hospital room. According to him, her family had asked him to intervene. But Britney was NOT on board, and after Dr. Phil issued public statements about her, her family turned against him too. He was accused of trying to exploit her condition, and dropped plans to tape a show about her story the following week. Almost a decade later he interviewed a clearly unwell Shelley Duvall. Many people felt that the interview was highly inappropriate, with both Ronan Farrow and Vivian Kubrick (daughter of Stanley Kubrick) calling Phil’s conduct cruel, shameless, and exploitative.
#2: Allegedly Enabling Addicts
Addicts looking for help are Dr. Phil’s bread and butter. But according to reports, the show sometimes enables them. In 2017, a scathing joint report by STAT and the Boston Globe revealed that numerous guests have complained of being enabled. One guest, an alcoholic named Todd Herzog, stated that he arrived sober only to be provided with vodka and Xanax backstage. Another guest, Kaitlin, was pregnant at the time and going through heroin withdrawals on set. After Kaitlin’s mother sought help, a producer allegedly took Kaitlin to Skid Row so she could acquire heroin. Kaitlin’s mother was later reprimanded by Phil for enabling her daughter.
#1: He’s Been Sued a LOT
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We’ve touched on a few of Dr. Phil’s legal woes. But believe it or not, there are many more. Perhaps the most bizarre lawsuit came from Shirley Rae Dieu, who claimed that Phil held her captive, brainwashed her, forced her to be in the room with a naked man, and touched her breast. In 2011, Phil and his wife were sued by their friend, Janet Harris, after their dog attacked and injured her. He was also sued for defamation by memorabilia dealer Thomas Riccio, after promotions for the show described him as the “ringleader” in a crime and showed him apparently agreeing with the host using edited footage.
