A dozen of current and past 'Dr. Phil' employees make the bombshell accusations in a new lengthy report, claiming that the show has a 'traumatizing' toxic work environment and it makes fun of guests who are people of color.
- Feb 11, 2022
AceShowbiz - Dr. Phil McGraw has responded to the allegations from anonymous current and past "Dr. Phil" employees in which it is said that the show has toxic work environment. In separate statements, representatives for both Dr. Phil and his show deny the accusations and accuse BuzzFeed News of publishing a "clickbait story."
H. Patrick Morris, an attorney for the 71-year-old talk show host, said in a statement to E! News on Thursday, February 10, "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 statement continued, "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."
The attorney added, "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 use ethnic origin such as described." He also said those claims were a "manipulation" and that "guests find a caring place, a safe place to face their challenges, even if told what they need to hear instead of what want [sic] to hear."
Additionally, Harris set the record straight regarding allegations of racism on set, calling them an "absurd, ridiculous attention grab" perpetuated by BuzzFeed.
As for the show, a spokesperson insisted in a statement that BuzzFeed's "sensationalized and baseless article" contains "verifiably and objectively false characterizations." The statement continued to read, " 'Dr. Phil' and our hard-working, diverse team of more than 200 proud staff, many of whom have been here for two decades, have sincerely and respectfully worked with thousands of appreciative guests."
"From the beginning, show executives have strived to create a collaborative, safe, and open environment for Dr. Phil McGraw and all staff and guests," it concluded.
In the said article, which was published on Thursday, a dozen current and former employees alleged that senior-level employees frequently verbally abused them on the set. They also claimed that guests were mistreated on the show and the actions detrimentally affected workers' mental health.
The story detailed the moment when executive producer Carla Pennington screamed, swore and suggested she would fire people in the show's control room. "It was traumatizing. It was the worst hour of your life," one former employee said in the story. "There was full-blown yelling, calling people idiots and slamming doors, and it would not be acceptable in any other job in any other business. Then after, everybody's upset and everybody's crying." Pennington's attorney denied the allegations.
One former worker also claimed that she was "mercilessly berated" by a more senior-level staffer, prompting her to ask other co-workers to trade shifts with her. Additionally, the show allegedly made fun of guests on the show, specifically people of color, by "mimicking the way Black and Latino guests spoke." The story also stated that when it comes to booking guest, the show preferred an upper-middle-class look and discouraged booking people of color.
