‘Dr. Phil’ Show Hit With Ellen DeGeneres Comparisons Over Alleged ‘Toxic Workplace’

Dr. Phil is being hit with toxic workplace allegations less than two years after similar allegations scandalized The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Thursday, BuzzFeed News published a lengthy report surrounding the claims of numerous current and former Dr. Phil employees who shared their experiences of alleged verbal abuse, intimidation and fear while working on the show.

While none of the employees, most of whom remained anonymous, reported seeing Dr. Phil McGraw himself participate in abusive behavior, they said it was common for senior employees to scream and verbally abuse others for small errors. “Everyone was just pretty miserable. You would walk into the building and there was just a palpable dread and anxiety,” one former employee said. “Dr. Phil – the show about mental health where everybody who works on it has terrible mental health because our work conditions were really bad.”

Other employees describe experiencing racism behind the scenes, with seven staffers saying they were encouraged to perpetuate racist stereotypes onscreen and two alleging they experienced racism themselves while working at Dr. Phil. Also included were claims that employees were instructed to manipulate guests who were already in a fragile place, with one former staffer saying they were even instructed to make sure a guest on the show didn’t take her prescribed medication.

Representatives for McGraw and the show denied the allegations to BuzzFeed, accusing the publication of writing a “clickbait story.” McGraw’s attorney H. Patrick Morris said in a statement, “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. 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.”

Morris continued, “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,” adding that claims of “manipulation” are “ridiculous” 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.”

A spokesperson for the show, meanwhile, said in a statement to E! News that the BuzzFeed story contains “verifiably and objectively false characterizations,” calling it a “sensationalized and baseless article.” The statement continued, “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.”