Dr. Phil's Tragic, Real-Life Story

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The following article mentions addiction and mental health issues.

Since the early 2000s Dr. Phil McGraw has been a household name. He's a successful daytime TV host, bestselling author, and a voice for people looking for answers about family, relationships, and life's challenges. As polarizing as he might be, there's no doubt that his original talk show, which ran from 2002 to 2023, left a mark on pop culture.

Before he became a public figure, Dr. Phil was a former college football player who began studying psychology after sustaining an injury. While there have long been questions about whether or not Dr. Phil is a real doctor, he did earn his PhD at the University of North Texas and work as a clinical psychologist for some time. In the 1990s, Dr. Phil co-founded Courtroom Sciences Inc., a consulting firm that specialized in trial preparation. One of his clients, Oprah Winfrey, invited him on her show. "He'd never done TV before," Oprah said on an episode of her talk show. "I really discovered him, and have created this." Dr. Phil has acknowledged the integral role she played in his career, once telling Variety, "I often say I'm the first graduate from Oprah University, and that's a pretty great place to learn how to do television."

As successful as has been, it has not been an easy road. Dr. Phil has opened up some of the difficulties he has faced throughout his life on his TV show and in interviews, while other details have surfaced through court filings and news reports. Without further ado, this is the tragic story of Dr. Phil.

Dr. Phil McGraw has built a career out of asking people to face life's difficulties head-on. But long before the cameras rolled, he was doing the same in his own life. In an episode of the "Coach Mike Bayer Podcast," Dr. Phil opened up about growing up with a parent who struggled with addiction. He said, "My dad was an alcoholic ... so I was kind of the patriarch of the family," noting that even as a young kid, he recognized the impacts of his father's drinking. He looked out for his younger sister and tried to keep the peace at home. Understandably, this shaped the way he approached addiction on his talk show.

In the same interview, he described his childhood home as chaotic, sharing that he would try to avoid his unpredictable father. He told Mike Bayer, "I had a real small room in our house and I came and went through the bedroom window." Furthermore, in an episode of "Dr. Phil," he explained that he rarely invited his friends over, fearing what he might find at home. He recalled arriving home with some friends one night only to see his father in a troubling state. "My dad was asleep on the driveway in his underwear with his pillow and it was 24 degrees out," he said. Dr. Phil has said that he has long avoided alcohol after watching his father struggle with addiction. On an episode of his talk show that aired in 2014, he told viewers that he has not had a drink in more than 45 years.

Born in Vinita, Oklahoma, and raised mostly in Texas, Dr. Phil McGraw's upbringing was tumultuous. His father, Joe McGraw, was an equipment supplier for oil fields before deciding to study psychology. This career change brought with it a set of challenges for the young Phil and the rest of his family. On the "Always Evolving with Coach Mike Bayer" podcast, Dr. Phil shared that when he was in high school, his father landed a low-paying internship in Kansas City. So, he and his dad up and moved to Kansas City. "My mother and sisters didn't go because we just couldn't afford it. There was no money for anything, and when I say anything I mean, anything," he said. 

After they relocated to Kansas City, Dr. Phil and his father were unhoused for a few months. They eventually rented a one-bedroom apartment, but it wasn't exactly a comfortable living situation right away. "We moved in in September and didn't get utilities until January," he said in the aforementioned interview. 

This difficult period stuck with Dr. Phil. As he said on an episode of his talk show, "I was homeless when I was 15. I've lived on the streets. I get that we are shaped by our experiences." According to the TV host, his upbringing shaped how motivated he is today.  "When you grow up poor you are very results-oriented," he said, per ABC News. "Intention doesn't play into it."

Before meeting his longtime wife, Robin McGraw, Dr. Phil McGraw married his high-school sweetheart, Debbie Higgins, in 1970. In a Newsweek cover story, he recalled, "I was the big football player, and she was the cheerleader. This was just the next thing to do."

However, after a few years, the marriage came to an end. "We never had a cross word," Dr. Phil said in the same cover story. "We just sat down and said, 'Why did we do this?'" According to the small screen star, the former couple mutually agreed to end it and had the marriage annulled in 1973.

While Dr. Phil painted a picture of a marriage that ran its course, Debbie Higgins' version of events was a little less shiny. She later reflected on her marriage to the TV star in an interview to the Kansas City Star (via Recordnet.com), where she referred to herself as "the secret first wife of Dr. Phil." She claimed he could be  controlling and that he wasn't faithful. ”When I confronted him about his infidelities, he didn't deny these girls and told me that it had nothing to do with his feelings toward me, to grow up, that's the way it was in the world,” she said.

Long before his successful TV career, Dr. Phil McGraw's career as a practicing psychologist was derailed by an ethics scandal. Dr. Phil got in trouble with the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists for maintaining an "inappropriate dual relationship" with a former therapy client in the late '80s. The client, who filed a complaint, was a 19-year-old woman whom Dr. Phil had seen in therapy and then hired to work in his office.The board found that this crossed a line, as it blurred the boundary between professional and personal relationships. The sanction placed his license under probationary review. 

In the wake of the scandal, Dr. Phil made a career turn. He helped launch the legal consulting business Courtroom Sciences Inc. And then, of course, he became one of the biggest daytime talk show hosts on the planet.

But right before his show premiered, the National Enquirer alleged Dr. Phil sexually assaulted the aforementioned former patient. In a 2002 TV Guide interview (via the New York Post), Dr. Phil denied the allegations, stating, "I have never so much as patted this woman on the back. ... She came to work for me for five or six weeks and then left. Later she files this complaint." He also maintained that the complaint she filed against him was not about sexual misconduct allegations. 

In a 2016 CBS News interview, Dr. Phil McGraw revealed that he'd been living with Type 2 diabetes for years. The diagnosis came after Dr. Phil noticed some concerning symptoms. "I was really having trouble losing weight no matter what I did, and I was having huge fluctuations in energy," he explained, describing what finally sent him to the doctor. The tests confirmed that his blood sugar was out of control and that he had Type 2 diabetes. "I was not at all happy to be told I had a disease," he stated in the interview. "But I was glad to finally have an answer." After that wake-up call, Dr. Phil had to change his lifestyle, improve his diet, and commit to managing the condition. 

The TV host went on to share that he regretted waiting this long to not only open up about his diagnosis, but wished he'd used his platform to raise awareness earlier. "I've talked about it before, but I never focused on it. Frankly, I should have. I never put together and organized a plan or call to action for people. I should have," he said. "I just wasn't putting enough emphasis on it, but I am now and I'm glad that I am."

In 2001, Dr. Phil McGraw's sister-in-law's life was changed forever when her car was hit by a jar of sulphuric acid. Cindi Broaddus, who was the sister of Robin McGraw, was on her way to the airport when someone threw the acid from a freeway overpass. "[T]he acid literally ate through the windshield and filled the car with acid," she recalled on "Larry King Live."

Though she didn't think she would live, Broaddus survived the attack, and later co-authored "A Random Act: An Inspiring True Story of Fighting to Survive and Choosing to Forgive." Dr. Phil, who encouraged Broaddus to write the book, penned the foreword. He also said the book gave him a hearty dose of perspective. "I know when I first sat down and read the raw manuscript, I had been belly aching to Robin all day, about how my back was hurting and my knee was hurting as I was dressing to go play tennis. And you know, I sat down and read that, and I thought, man, you are a whiner," he said on "Larry King Live."

Broaddus became an inspirational figure, advocating forgiveness until she died in 2018. After her sister passed, Robin shared a heartfelt message on Instagram, writing, "I will celebrate her and her strength and her unwavering support for me the rest of my life. I miss her dearly." Dr. Phil also took a moment on his show to pay tribute to his late sister-in-law. He shared that Broaddus died after having a stroke, and around that same time, his own sister died. "We've had a pretty rough year, in our family," he said.

In 2003, Dr. Phil McGraw launched a line of weight loss supplements called Shape Up! with Dr. Phil, and the products quickly reached major retailers such as Target and Walmart. According to the Los Angeles Times, the label on the multivitamin box claimed that the pills were packed with science-backed ingredients that promised to help people change their habits and control their weight.

Not long after, customers and regulators began questioning the science behind the supplements and whether or not they were being sold a false bill of goods. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the Federal Trade Commission began looking into whether the claims were deceptive. Furthermore, consumers filed a class-action lawsuit accusing Dr. Phil of false advertising. According to the aforementioned outlet, Henry Rossbacher, the lead lawyer on the case, said, "We don't think there were any real clinical trials of these products and no real testing."

As per the Los Angeles Times, in order to resolve the situation, Dr. Phil's company reached a $10.5 million settlement, offering refunds to anyone who purchased the products. Despite the attempt at damage control, the venture was not exactly a good look for the television personality's brand.

In January 2008, Britney Spears was placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold. While she was still in the hospital, Dr. Phil McGraw visited her per her family's request. However, he took things a step too far when he offered the public his assessment of the pop superstar's health. "My meeting [with Britney] left me convinced more than ever that she's in dire need of medical and psychological intervention," he said in a statement, per The Guardian. Britney Spears' family was said to feel betrayed by his decision to speak to the press about her whatsoever. After facing a significant amount of backlash, Dr. Phil told ABC News that he regretted commenting about the situation publicly. "If I had it to do over again, I probably wouldn't make any statement at all," he said.

Dr. Phil sparked controversy yet again when he interviewed "The Shining" star Shelley Duvall in 2016. At the time, she was struggling with mental health issues, and throughout the conversation she spoke about alien surveillance programs and insisted that her deceased co-star Robin Williams was alive. The interview was widely criticized, and many viewers believed Dr. Phil took things way too far. Vivian Kubrick, daughter of "The Shining" director Stanley Kubrick, urged people to boycott the show. She wrote on X, "Your exploitive use of Shelly Duvall is a form of LURID ENTERTAINMENT and is shameful."

Years later, Duvall acknowledged that she deeply regretted appearing on "Dr. Phil." She told The Hollywood Reporter, "I found out the kind of person he is the hard way." She added, "My mother didn't like him, either." These incidents expose the fine line Dr. Phil walks between public intervention and sensationalism. 

Not content with just a talk show, Dr. Phil McGraw attempted to launch his own cable network, Merit Street Media. This was a Texas-based network and production company that partnered with Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). However, not long after, by mid-2025, the ambitious venture ended in financial failure.

The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing tens of millions in liabilities to investors and production partners. The lawsuit stated that TBN agreed to offer its distribution network and deliver "first-class quality" production services for McGraw's shows, including "Dr. Phil Primetime" and other programs. In exchange, Dr. Phil and his company, Peteski Productions, were to provide both funding and original content. Court filings revealed the network had struggled to secure distribution and advertising revenue in a saturated streaming market. As reported by CNN, Merit Street stated in the lawsuit, "These failures by TBN were neither unintended nor inadvertent." It went on to say, "They were a conscious, intentional pattern of choices made with full awareness that the consequence of which was to sabotage and seal the fate of a new but already nationally acclaimed network."

Though Dr. Phil remained optimistic publicly, the bankruptcy marked yet another humbling chapter. This showed that even television veterans can face obstacles when entering new ventures.

In 2020, tragedy struck close to home when Dr. Phil McGraw's nephew, William Scott "Scooter" Madsen Jr., died of cancer. He was 47 years old. Per his obituary, Madsen was a clinical psychologist and researcher who worked with his famous uncle. "He lived in Hollywood, California where he was happy and proud to be the Director of Research for 'Dr. Phil,' and 'The Doctors,'" his obituary read. "He loved his career and the beautiful Southern California life." Though Dr. Phil did not address his family's loss publicly, his professional history with his nephew suggests the two played significant roles in one another's lives. 

"Those who knew Scooter have lost a bright shining light in their lives," his obit read. "He was known as the kindest hearted, most loving, happy, intelligent, and fun loved one and friend." His death cut short not only a promising career but also a close professional partnership with his uncle. Madsen died a few months before he was set to propose to his longtime girlfriend. 

In recent years, there have been allegations about Dr. Phil McGraw's successful TV franchise and whether or not the culture behind the scenes was toxic. In 2022, a BuzzFeed News reported that a number of employees alleged that the "Dr. Phil" set fostered a toxic environment. According to the allegations, employees were apparently berated and subjected to a culture of fear. Multiple former staffers claimed senior producers yelled at subordinates and manipulated guests for dramatic effect. A former employee said, "Everyone was just pretty miserable. You would walk into the building, and there was just a palpable dread and anxiety."

Dr. Phil McGraw and CBS Media Ventures denied the allegations. In statements to E! News, they called the claims "clickbait." "BuzzFeed was offered dozens of current and former staff to talk to, but when the reporter started hearing the truth which ruined their salacious narrative they declined," the TV star's attorney stated. "Dr. Phil takes every guest and their circumstances very seriously and spends enormous amounts of time preparing for his time with them, including consulting with world class experts." While no legal action was taken, the exposé clouded the final years of "Dr. Phil," which ended its run in 2023 after 21 seasons. 

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues or mental health, please contact the resources below:

• Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
• Reach the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.