The Scandal That Ruined Dr. Oz's Reputation & Started His Downfall From Fame

Dr. Mehmet Oz, better known simply as Dr. Oz, seems to have the end-all, be-all cure for everything except his own soured reputation. The celebrity doctor's fall from grace arguably began in 2014, when he had to appear before a congressional subcommittee and defend himself against some dubious claims the TV personality had made on his eponymous talk show. In her power as chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, then-Senator Claire McCaskill brought up how Dr. Oz had touted products like raspberry ketones and green coffee extract as "miracle" and "magical" cures for weight loss, despite there being little to no scientific evidence to back up those claims, per the Washington Post. Elsewhere, McCaskill pointed out that there was "a real crisis in consumer protection," and Dr. Oz wasn't doing much to help it (via CBS News). 

Ultimately, the Democratic politician simply couldn't come to terms with how the celebrity doctor was using his influence to push unscientific solutions on vulnerable people. In his response, Dr. Oz acknowledged that some of his miracle cures likely wouldn't get the FDA's stamp of approval because they didn't have sufficient scientific evidence. However, the former talk show host still insisted that he thoroughly researched every product he backed and had even recommended them to his loved ones. 

After reassuring McCaskill that he understood her concerns about the language he used to promote certain products, Dr. Oz confessed that he felt he wouldn't be able to stir a positive change in American healthcare if he had to constantly second-guess every word he uttered. However, some of the biggest controversies surrounding Dr. Oz's show could have been averted if the doctor had chosen his words more carefully.

"What kind of doctor is Dr. Oz?" is a question that many of even his most loyal viewers found themselves asking after watching the celebrity physician making some truly bizarre remarks on television. At one point, three people decided enough was enough and filed a class action lawsuit against Dr. Oz. In their February 2016 complaint, the trio accused the media personality of falsely promoting green coffee extract and Garcinia cambogia supplements as magical fat burners without proper scientific proof. 

Ultimately, Dr. Oz and the fat loss supplements companies at the center of the lawsuit had to shell out $5.25 million to put an end to the matter. The defendants were also ordered to dole out refunds to consumers who bought the alleged fat burners within a certain timeframe that began shortly after Dr. Oz promoted them. Additionally, the episodes in which the celebrity doctor extolled the virtue of these products would not be aired again. In a statement, the defendants clarified that they had not "been found liable for any wrongdoing and [were] pleased with the resolution of this matter," (via  Lexology).

Some of the celebrity doctor's claims also didn't sit right with medical professionals, who wrote a letter to Columbia's dean of medicine in April 2015 to urge him not to give Dr. Oz a space on their medical faculty. In the joint letter, the physicians warned that Dr. Oz was an untrustworthy public figure who had repeatedly shilled unscientific solutions to medical problems just to make a quick buck. Even politicians have similarly publicly slammed Dr. Oz for his wild claims, ultimately destroying his reputation beyond repair.