Is Dr. Phil a Real Doctor?

Phillip Calvin McGraw has seen it all. Like Jerry Springer, this renowned television host has been a household name since the early days of cable. As a young, struggling physician, his focus on people and their lives was initially fresh and invigorating, leading McGraw to quickly establish himself in the public eye as a trusted advisor credited with helping many turn their lives around with his guidance.

But this same public perspective has shifted through the years, largely due to the rise of social media.

Life Off-Screen

Most of the public record of Dr. Phil prior to his time on TV centers his domestic dysfunction, which began at a young age. McGraw married his first wife, Debbie Higgins McCall, in 1970, at 20 years old. According to McCall, McGraw was domineering and would not allow her to participate in the family business, confining her to domestic duties and weightlifting to improve her bustline. McCall also claimed their marriage had ended in infidelity. McGraw has two children by his second wife, Robin Jo Jameson, who he married in 1976.

A true Renaissance man, McGraw has been involved in the world of medicine, business, entertainment, and even aviation. He's held a variety of positions over the years, including being the vice president of marketing at Weight Watchers from 1990 to 1995, senior vice president of research and development at Ciba-Geigy (which was later acquired by GlaxoSmithKline) from 1995 to 2000 and president of The Philanthropy Fund at the Entertainment Industry Foundation from 2000 to 2002. From 1999-2005, he published four self-improvement books.

Dr. Phil's television career began on The Oprah Winfrey Show, after McGraw's consulting firm worked to secure Winfrey's victory in the Amarillo Texas Beef trial in which a cattle farm sued for defamation. In 2002, McGraw formed his own production company and launched the syndicated day-time television program we all know as Dr. Phil.

It was his daytime television broadcast that made him a staple of American pop culture for years, even inspiring a song on Kanye West’s debut album The College Dropout. By 2007, he was a judge on the ABC show Who Do You Think You Are? and then moved to CBS to judge the reality show The Next Great Baker.

Dr. Phil gained notoriety for his harsh treatment of celebrities and contestants, earning him the nickname “Dr. No.” Despite still being referred to by his doctorate title, McGraw's Texas license hasn't been renewed since 2006 and has never been issued in the state of California, where his show is filmed. Thus, the production star is no longer required to maintain patient confidentiality.

This has been a point of contention ever since, as the business mogul turned television star has seen his fair share of controversies and lawsuits. He's been called exploitative for visiting Britney Spears in 2008 and airing an interview with Shelley Duvall in 2016 in which the actress was in a less than lucid state. Duvall later commented how her mother "didn't like him either."

He was accused of making false claims about the work of Dr. Drew Pinsky, who he had hired on his show.

He came under fire from the American Psychiatric Association and the American Medical Association for the show’s negative portrayal of mental illness and suicidal patients.

The Rise of Bhad Bhabie

I Want to Give Up My Car-Stealing, Knife-Wielding, Twerking 13-Year-Old Daughter Who Tried to Frame Me for a Crime!

Dr. Phil gained a surge in media attention in 2016 after season 15 episode 8 featuring Danielle Bregoli, better known as the "Catch Me Outside" girl. Now rapping under the stage name Bhad Bhabie, Bregoli speaks openly about her time at Turn-About Ranch in Utah and the abuse that she endured there. What's more, Danielle didn't learn of her fame until months following the initial meme craze.



She was featured again on the show in 2017, and did not voice her complaints there. She was still a minor and likely felt the risk to her financial freedom and safety was too heavy. She then resumes her former demeanor, claiming, "...what’s good for you is I made you just how Oprah made you. You were nothing before I came on this show.”

In 2018, Bregoli was sentenced to probation for four separate juvenile charges of grand theft, grand theft auto, marijuana possession and filing a false report.

In 2021, Bregoli turns around again to demand an apology from Dr. Phil following accusations made against the staff of Turn-About. Aside from the sexual assault allegations made by Hannah Archuleta, Bregoli recounts how basic necessities such as food and beds were stripped from the patients. The extent of the madness went so far as one of the patients killing a staff member, to witnesses were provided no emotional support. Together, Archuleta and Bregoli sued Viacom and CBS.

Dr. Phil recommended Danielle's stay be extended from 100 days to 6 months. If her word is to be believed, he did not follow up until after her release.

The TV psychologist was publically criticized for not helping Danielle and having her released when she was deemed no longer a threat to the public. He went as far as telling Ashleigh Banfield on her NewsNation show that the situation was "out of his hands" and that some children need to be "protected from themselves."

Bregoli criticized the approach of handling troubled teens by forcing them into a harsh and punishing environment. She tells Hollywood Life, “He just don’t want to take accountability for it because there’s some type of scheme going on where every time he sends a child over there, something goes in his favor. I don’t know if he gets money or if it gets him good publicity.”

Bregoli’s claims of abuse at Turn Around Ranch echo Angelina Jolie’s claims about the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, a boarding school in South Africa. The media attention allowed Bregoli to team up with none other than Paris Hilton herself, who sought to expose the abuse at another Utah facility, Provo Canyon School.

The backlash led to Dr. Phil being stripped of his title as the APA’s “honorary life member,” which was awarded to him in 1999. The doctor has remained outspoken about the controversy, which did not prevent him from earning his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2020.

Where to Watch Dr. Phil :

Dr. Phil is available for streaming on Pluto TV, fuboTV, Philo, and Hulu Premium.