The Toxic Workplace Scandal Dr. Phil Can't Escape

Daytime TV icon Phil McGraw, aka Dr. Phil, is no stranger to controversy. From general criticism regarding the sensationalized nature of his eponymous talk show, to publicizing the allegedly abusive treatment facility Turn-About Ranch, to a 1988 case that saw him reprimanded by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists for an allegedly "inappropriate dual relationship" with a therapy patient (back when Dr. Phil was still a licensed therapist, that is), the TV personality has found himself in hot water on multiple occasions. But, while some believe that Dr. Phil took things too far on his show, it's actually a behind-the-scenes scandal that he can't shake.

In 2022, a dozen former "Dr. Phil" employees came forward with disturbing allegations of a nightmarish workplace culture on the popular CBS series, which ultimately came to an end in 2023 after 21 years on the air. The staffers claimed, among other things, that they were instructed to withhold a guest's medication before the show, and that they were encouraged to play into racial stereotypes. The host himself skirted by with no major accusations of toxic management. Rather, it was an executive producer named Carla Pennington that many employees fingered as the main culprit. 

Still, at least one former "Dr. Phil" staffer found it hard to believe that McGraw was oblivious to all this. At any rate, Patrick Morris, his attorney, was quick to dismiss the allegations in a statement to Variety. "It is a clickbait story, because as everyone knows, Dr. Phil sells tickets," he reasoned, adding, "Dr. Phil focuses on content for the program and doesn't get involved in staff relations, but the staff at the program in no way uses ethnic origin such as described." But given the severity of certain accusations, this scandal wasn't going to go away quietly. 

The initial allegations regarding the harsh working environment on "Dr. Phil" came to light in an exposé published by Buzzfeed News, in February 2022. And the staffers who shared their experiences did not paint a flattering picture of their time there, to say the least. "Everyone was just pretty miserable," one admitted. "You would walk into the building and there was just a palpable dread and anxiety." Another anonymous former employee even went as far as asserting that, somewhat ironically, they had to see a therapist after leaving the show to deal with the lingering workplace trauma. "I would literally be working in my sleep and have nightmares about something being wrong or not turning in something the right way," they confessed. Much like the eponymous host's attorney, a spokesperson for "Dr. Phil" itself was quick to dismiss any stories about a toxic workplace. 

In a statement to Variety, they decried it as a "'click-bait story' containing verifiably and objectively false characterizations." However, ViacomCBS struck a more neutral tone, confirming, "We encourage any employee who believes that they or others within the company have been treated unfairly to report it without a fear of retaliation. We take seriously all such reports." With that in mind, the timing of "Dr. Phil's" cancellation just one year later makes you wonder, even if the official line was that Phil McGraw chose to end the show. To that end, CBS did initially tease a move to primetime TV, though the celebrity doctor ended up making it via his own network, not CBS. "Dr. Phil Primetime" premiered on Merit TV in 2024, but production was suspended indefinitely in 2025.