Everybody knows Dr. Phil. (If you're like me, when you see his name, you can't help but hear his voice, with that thick southern accent.) The former licensed psychologist made his television debut on The
Show, where he offered people advice in the form of "life strategies." The segments were incredibly popular. Viewers loved Dr. Phil for his blunt straight talk, his bullheaded persistence, and his eccentric country slang. ("I think I'd be madder than a wet hen myself!")
In 2002, Dr. Phil got his own syndicated talk show, The Dr. Phil Show. So far, it's ran for over two thousand episodes, making him the highest paid personality in daytime TV (at 79 million dollars a year.) On the show, Dr. Phil tries to help people struggling with serious issues, such as eating disorders, drug addiction, rebellious teenagers, financial problems, unhappy marriages - pretty much anything that tears at the heartstrings. Sometimes the show feels carnivalesque, like it's exploiting people (to me, anyway). But at the same time, it seems to really help people, giving them the support and advice they so desperately need.
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However, the STAT and The Boston Globe just released a shocking report that no amount of cutesy country slang can cover up: Dr. Phil is accused of bringing
on his show and giving them drugs and alcohol, in an attempt to boost ratings. For example, one unidentified woman says she brought her niece on the show to help break her heroin addiction. When they arrived in Los Angeles, she noticed her niece was suffering from withdrawal, so she asked one of the staff producers where to purchase heroin. "They told us where to go, Skid Row,” the woman said. “I was so scared.”
But the most egregious case is Survivor: China winner Todd Herzog. Todd struggled with alcoholism, and made a memorable appearance on The Dr. Phil Show in 2013 to seek help for his addiction. It's tough to forget the cringeworthy clip. Todd is so drunk, he has to be carried on stage, and slurs his words in every sentence. When Dr. Phil makes the reality star take a
breathalyzer, he blows an astounding .263 - more than three times the legal limit to drive.
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However, Todd spoke to STAT about his appearance, and revealed that when he arrived in Los Angeles, he detoxed for two days. He arrived at the studio "completely sober," only to discover a bottle of vodka in the green room. "Being unsupervised by my parents, I drank the entire bottle," says Todd. "And then at some point somebody [from the show] gave me a Xanax...they said 'This will calm your nerves.'...and I know that can be a deadly combination...next thing you know, I'm being carried onto the stage, because I can barely walk."
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In their report, STAT interviewed Dr. Jeff Sugar, the assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of Southern California. As you might guess, he did not think giving
drugs and alcohol was a super great idea. "It's a callous and inexcusable exploitation," said Dr. Sugar. "These people are barely hanging on. It’s like if one of them was drowning and approaching a lifeboat, and instead of throwing them an inflatable doughnut, you throw them an anchor.”
The Dr. Phil Show denies all of these claims. When asked for comment, psychologist Martin Greenberg, who serves as the show's director of professional affairs, called the allegations "absolutely, unequivocally untrue." "We do not do that with this guest or any other,” wrote Greenberg in his statement. "Addicts are notorious for lying, deflecting and trivializing. But, if they are at risk when they arrive, then they were at risk before they arrived. The only change is they are one step closer to getting help, typically help they could not have even come close to affording."
Well, Dr. Phil, if you're helping people that struggle with serious problems, that's awesome. But if you're giving addicts
and alcohol just to get a great TV moment? Then we're all, to put it in your words, "madder than a wet hen."
