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00:06Five months into our reporting about fraud and addiction, we got probably the
00:13weirdest tip that I've ever gotten in my career. This tipster, a minor celebrity,
00:22had read our stories and said they really needed to talk to us. The tipster
00:28was really emphatic. It was so unexpected. They said, you should investigate Dr. Phil.
00:38We were like, what the is that? I mean, like, that's ridiculous. We're serious people and we
00:43are not going to investigate Dr. Phil because that is not a serious thing to investigate.
00:47Um, we were wrong.
00:55We haven't asked you to do this anonymously.
00:58This is at your request. Is that correct?
01:02Yes.
01:03I hear the ratings are huge, so you must be like, yeah, I'm the man.
01:09Well, if you're going to do it, do it right, I suppose. But really, I'm proud of what we've done.
01:13I truly think that it's the highest and best use of television.
01:18Dr. Tell it like it is. Phil McGraw.
01:21I would like for people to have a real idea about Dr. Phil.
01:28They are there to get you in and out so fast. Have a taxi cab literally sitting out there.
01:33I bawled my eyes out in that cab.
01:38They're set up to fail. They're manipulated.
01:43We had to do absolutely everything that we could to get them there.
01:48I had no say in anything at all the entire time we were there.
01:53My traumatic experiences were seen as entertainment.
01:58Fear is permanent every day.
02:02It was a cult. You feel like you're working for the devil.
02:06Technically, he's not a real doctor, but, like, he's Dr. Phil. That's his whole brand.
02:12He is no stranger to controversy, and television's Dr. Phil is under fire once again today.
02:18He's the most successful guy on television.
02:20What happens to this guy? Who can touch him?
02:22I'm never surprised now when somebody comes out and says that Dr. Phil exploited them.
02:40When it comes to talk shows in the sort of 90s,
02:44how was America engaging in its problems on national TV, would you say?
02:49Wow. Okay.
02:52Throughout the 80s, the talk show began to become a bigger and bigger thing,
02:57where it would be a family in crisis, and the host would talk to them,
03:01and maybe they'd bring out an expert,
03:03and Oprah Winfrey very quickly became the queen of daytime television.
03:14She brought a whole bunch of people on at the same time.
03:17Uh, Susie Orman, financial wellness guru,
03:20uh, Dr. Oz, who is now working for the federal government,
03:23and then Dr. Phil.
03:24My next guest is here to help lead you in the right direction.
03:27I've chosen him because he is the person who helped me the most getting through my trial.
03:33Oprah got to know Dr. Phil from using the business that he had built before he became a TV shrink.
03:40Opening statements are set for today in the Texas Cattlemen's lawsuit against Oprah Winfrey.
03:45Right. Oprah and her production company knew they needed help,
03:48so they called Dr. Phil McGraw at courtroom sciences.
03:52When you get on the witness stand, it can rock you back on your heels,
03:56and you can be less effective than you might be otherwise.
03:59Oprah really liked his manner, so she started bringing him on.
04:03Dr. Phil is here. He's definitely all wound up and ready for action.
04:06He was speaking kind of truth in a way that felt good and felt kind of emotionally satisfying.
04:13You can't be romantic enough for her to want to have sex three times a day, okay?
04:19Dr. Phil was a breakout star.
04:21Dr. Phil went from being an occasional guest on the show to being a regular guest on the show
04:25to being a fixture on the show.
04:27Now to a man known to tens of millions of television viewers as simply Dr. Phil.
04:31He's emerged as a top contender for the eyes and ears of advice-starved Americans.
04:36Within a couple years, they gave him his own show,
04:38and immediately, like, his face was suddenly everywhere.
04:42Man, are you making a splash.
04:44Your show is, what, the number two daytime show after Oprah?
04:48He became like Oprah in that you don't need a last name.
04:52And then when she left, he was on top.
05:03I'm Evan Allen, investigative reporter at the Boston Globe.
05:08In 2017, I was working with another reporter on a series of stories about the addiction treatment industry.
05:17We were starting to get a lot of tips, and it was sort of through that that we got the
05:23tip about the Dr. Phil show.
05:26Ain't life just grand?
05:28It's lots of hard work.
05:29It truly is.
05:30But really, it is pretty damn glamorous and exciting.
05:35First, we just started watching the show.
05:37Like, we watched a lot of Dr. Phil.
05:42In the early days of Dr. Phil, the segments are funnier.
05:46They're lighter.
05:47No running water in the bathroom?
05:49Whoa, whoa!
05:50I shook y'all's hands when you came up here.
05:53The next clip shows he was straight-talking Texas guy, cutting through the bullshit, because he cares about you, and
06:01he's going to tell you the truth, and it's like a truth that you need to hear.
06:04You teach people how to treat you, okay?
06:08You need to stand your ground and start the negotiation over, because you got some help now.
06:13You got me.
06:14All right?
06:17Later, there was a turning point where the tone really shifted.
06:25With every step of investigation that we did, the picture got bigger and darker.
06:33This was the first time that I had ever watched the Dr. Phil show, with my full attention and with
06:39any critical thought.
06:41In the first four years of the show, he still was a licensed psychologist.
06:47Because I feel like I've been given a very powerful platform, and I need to be a good steward of
06:54that influence.
06:55And so I weigh very carefully what I say before I say it, because I know millions of people the
07:00world over are watching him.
07:01But then we found that in 2006, he let his license lapse, which means that he's not a licensed doctor.
07:12After that, you can see yourself.
07:15The show became more sensational, more disturbing.
07:19She claims her father is a violent, dangerous psychopath.
07:23It goes from, like, mom's on the edge to my daughter thinks she's pregnant with baby Jesus.
07:29What will the ultrasound show?
07:31I am pregnant!
07:34And it is Jesus.
07:36It is so outrageous.
07:38He presents himself as this trustworthy, straight-talking doctor.
07:45That's his whole brand.
07:46And in 200 markets...
07:48But the reality is so at odds with the thing they are pretending to be.
07:56I just don't understand why people go on the show.
08:15I was 16 in high school.
08:19That's when I wound up finding out that I was pregnant.
08:24Me and my boyfriend broke up about a month into the pregnancy.
08:32I didn't really feel comfortable with, like, abortion.
08:35I felt that it was the right choice to take care of it and hold myself responsible.
08:43Everybody was very conflicted.
08:45My stepfather did not feel confident in my decision.
08:50My mom just wanted to support me.
08:54Her and my stepfather were fighting nonstop.
08:56She was just desperate.
08:57She didn't want to have to choose between her husband and her child.
09:04So, she wrote in to the Dr. Phil show.
09:12The night before flying out, I said to my mom,
09:15please don't make me go on the show.
09:17And that is when she had told me that, you know,
09:20if you care about your family, then you're going to go on the show.
09:23And despite not wanting to go, I went.
09:40When I first talked to the Dr. Phil show, I was reached out to.
09:43I didn't ask for help.
09:45Investigators say Cassandra Taruga wanted to kill a pregnant friend
09:49and then steal her baby by performing a C-section.
09:53In 2011, I was 18 and pregnant
09:56when my friend asked to come over to my house.
09:58According to court paperwork,
10:00Taruga came over with two large butcher knives
10:02and a pair of scissors.
10:04She told me that there was this gift that she wanted to give me.
10:09She told me to turn around and close my eyes.
10:11She just says, one, two.
10:14And right when she says three,
10:16I felt like there was a knife to my back.
10:20I stood up as fast as I could, ran and turned the light on.
10:24911 was called.
10:25The cops were there.
10:26They could all see two large butcher knives.
10:30They also found scissors, disinfectant,
10:33a baby onesie, a newborn blanket.
10:35That's when I started to realize
10:37she had plotted to kill me
10:38and perform a C-section on my body
10:40to take my unborn child.
10:45The next day, I had every news station sitting outside my house.
10:51Everybody wanted to have an interview with me,
10:53but they wanted to change my story
10:55to make their own narrative of what had happened.
10:59So I declined everybody
11:04until I received an email
11:06from a producer from The Dr. Phil Show.
11:10They were just kind of different.
11:14They wanted to give me that platform to tell my story,
11:17and they would be honored to be able to do this.
11:26I just trusted what the producers were saying.
11:30The Dr. Phil Show was like royalty.
11:32There was nothing but good things
11:34that anybody said about him.
11:37That's what it seemed like.
11:47I grew up watching Dr. Phil,
11:50and I was happy to be there
11:53at the start.
11:56There was no standards around the content
11:59that we would produce.
12:01It was never about how can we help this person.
12:06I think I would describe Dr. Phil
12:08as something of a manipulative egomaniac.
12:13The guests don't realize
12:14how personal they're going to get
12:15and how bad it makes them look.
12:21We had to do absolutely everything
12:23that we could to get them there.
12:27We were told to tell them
12:28that it's going to be life-changing,
12:29that he's going to help them,
12:31that they're going to get resources
12:32that they would never otherwise get.
12:34I would tell many, many other lies.
12:38Everybody believed that he was a real doctor
12:40and that, you know,
12:41he had the best of intentions for that.
12:43It really wasn't until they actually, like,
12:45got on stage
12:46that it all sort of started to fall apart.
12:49I mean, it was really brutal.
12:59They flew me out there.
13:01The producers were super nice.
13:03They sent a cab to come get me and my baby.
13:06They even bought a car seat for him.
13:09I was actually really excited for the whole thing.
13:15I was told to make sure
13:17that they were taken care of.
13:19That was my job as a travel coordinator,
13:21to make sure that it was flawless
13:23from door to door.
13:25Your hotel's going to be paid for,
13:27your meals,
13:28you'll take care of all of it.
13:31Was that the brief that you were told
13:33to make them feel like sort of stars?
13:36Yeah.
13:39We did get picked up by a very large limo.
13:44They gave us a five-star hotel.
13:49The hotel room was very, very nice.
13:52We got $150 of room service a day.
13:56Having somebody come and get me things,
13:58especially being a mom,
13:59I was like, wow,
14:00this is nice.
14:04You're in the glitz of Hollywood.
14:07There's a sedan picking you up
14:09and taking him to the studio,
14:11right into the iconic entrance
14:14to Paramount Pictures.
14:17I mean, your head is spinning.
14:20So there was a lot of love bombing, basically.
14:23Yes.
14:25By the people working
14:27to get these people on the show.
14:33When you were in it,
14:35did you enjoy it?
14:38No.
14:40No.
14:43It was an open area.
14:45Call it the bullpen.
14:47Where all the producers
14:49and APs and PAs all sat.
14:53The anxiety just
14:55was everywhere in that office.
15:02What was Phil like?
15:08He was an intimidating person.
15:11He was a very tall, big guy.
15:14It's this sort of direct,
15:16booming voice coming at you.
15:19And the way Dr. Phil
15:21treated the producers
15:23created an environment of fear.
15:27You don't want to end up
15:29in a room with Dr. Phil
15:30being screamed at.
15:33Fear is
15:34permanent
15:36anxiety
15:37every day.
15:40The producers were
15:41high-strung and erotic.
15:43Like, they didn't seem
15:44like broken people.
15:46They were just awful people.
15:55I never felt
15:56I can go to someone
15:58about what was going on.
16:01It's a place of control.
16:05The audience,
16:06they don't know
16:07the true
16:08man behind
16:09the persona
16:10and the name.
16:12That's all made up.
16:13It's a lie.
16:27I was only 17
16:30when my mom wrote the show.
16:35Our family was very broken.
16:39My brother had molested me
16:41when we were younger,
16:42twice.
16:44He was taken
16:45out of the home
16:46by family services
16:48and my mom signed away
16:49her parental rights
16:51to him.
16:53But when he was
16:54in the custody
16:54of the state,
16:55he never actually finished
16:56any kind of
16:57sexual offender program.
17:00When he turned 18,
17:02they let him go
17:03and he moved in
17:03with my dad.
17:05He was doing
17:06whatever he wanted.
17:09He was just
17:10really messed up.
17:15my mom was scared
17:17that he was
17:17going to re-offend.
17:19She knew he still
17:20needed that help.
17:23That's why she wrote
17:24the show.
17:27My mom was like,
17:28the Dr. Phil show
17:29answered me
17:29and, you know,
17:30we're going to get help.
17:32I had been in therapy
17:33for years,
17:34but my mom
17:35didn't want me
17:36to be re-traumatized.
17:39But the Dr. Phil
17:40producers said
17:41that either I went
17:42or they weren't
17:43going to do it at all.
17:46You know,
17:47he was still my brother.
17:49I thought it would
17:49be good for everybody.
17:59When we first
17:59got to the studio,
18:01the producer
18:02that I had been
18:02working with
18:03from day one
18:03was like,
18:04hi, Angelique,
18:05like, it's so nice
18:06to see you.
18:07They start treating you
18:08like royalty,
18:09making you feel
18:09like you're important,
18:10like everything about you
18:12is amazing.
18:13And it gives you
18:14that little bit of trust
18:15where you're just like,
18:16man, like,
18:16I'm so excited for this.
18:22So we started
18:23to reach out to guests
18:24who had been on the show.
18:25We started to hear
18:26the same story
18:28again and again.
18:29People described
18:30sort of feeling
18:32pressure
18:32from the producers,
18:34a little bit entrapped,
18:35almost like they
18:36didn't know
18:37how to get out
18:37anymore.
18:38And that was
18:39when some people
18:40described feeling
18:41like,
18:43maybe I don't
18:43want to do this.
18:46We drove
18:47to Paramount.
18:50We went
18:50to this little area
18:51with a bush
18:52kind of hidden.
18:54It was like
18:55a little door
18:55and in there
18:56was all
18:57of the interview rooms.
19:00They were
19:01very passionate
19:02in saying,
19:02he wants to
19:03help you guys
19:04so much.
19:04Like,
19:05it's going
19:05to be this
19:06life-changing
19:06thing
19:07and my parents
19:08believed this.
19:11So,
19:11despite going,
19:12I was very vocal
19:13to the staff
19:14that I didn't want
19:15to be there
19:16and they told me
19:16that I was being
19:17a difficult child
19:18and that I just
19:19had to do
19:19what I was told.
19:22It actually
19:22got to a point
19:23where they
19:24attempted to
19:25coerce me
19:26into doing it
19:27by telling me
19:28that maybe,
19:29you know,
19:31if you record
19:31your interviews,
19:32maybe we can
19:33have Dr. Phil
19:34help you get
19:34your boyfriend
19:35back.
19:41When we went
19:42to do the interviews,
19:43they separated
19:44my mom and I.
19:47Once we started
19:48filming,
19:49one of the producers
19:50wanted me
19:51to talk
19:52in detail
19:53about my brother
19:54molesting me
19:56for about
19:57four hours.
19:59They wanted
20:00specific details
20:02said in
20:03certain ways.
20:06I was kind
20:07of forced
20:07into that
20:08and I realized
20:09I want to go
20:10home.
20:12When I told
20:13the producer
20:14I don't want
20:15to do this,
20:15she looked
20:16directly at me
20:17and she said
20:17if you don't
20:18film this episode
20:19tomorrow,
20:20we won't pay
20:21for your way
20:21home.
20:25We were
20:26a low-income
20:26family.
20:27We didn't
20:28have the money
20:29to pay
20:29for a plane
20:30ride back
20:30for all four
20:31of us.
20:32So,
20:33there wasn't
20:34really anything
20:35we could do
20:35about it.
20:37Did you feel
20:38in any way
20:40in control,
20:42like you had
20:42agency?
20:43Oh, no.
20:44I had no say
20:45in anything
20:46at all.
20:48I was only
20:4917.
20:51I had no idea
20:52what I was
20:53getting myself
20:53into.
20:56I was just
20:57a kid,
20:58a very naive
20:59kid.
21:06If you step
21:07back and look
21:08at the experiences
21:09of these guests
21:10sort of broadly,
21:12they really do
21:13mirror the arc
21:14of an abusive
21:16relationship.
21:19drawing you in,
21:21making you
21:21dependent,
21:22making it so
21:23you can't leave
21:24and get them
21:25to do what
21:25you want.
21:28And I do think
21:29that that
21:30is power.
21:33I mean,
21:34one of the guests
21:35told us
21:36that they
21:37risked his
21:38life for
21:39ratings.
21:45Most of the guests,
21:47they're set up
21:48to fail,
21:49essentially.
21:51When they arrive
21:53to the studio,
21:54they're manipulated.
21:58say you have
21:59someone who
22:00has an alcohol
22:01problem.
22:03Let's just
22:04casually put
22:05vodka in the
22:06green room
22:07to then come
22:09out intoxicated.
22:12Did that happen?
22:15Yeah.
22:16Yeah.
22:17That was after
22:19my time,
22:20but I knew
22:21about it.
22:24Alcohol
22:24in a guest's
22:26room,
22:26if that would
22:27create some drama,
22:28was absolutely
22:29something that
22:29they would do.
22:30The producers
22:31would want
22:32to set people
22:32up.
22:40Todd Herzog,
22:41one survivor
22:42at 22,
22:43he was addicted
22:44to alcohol,
22:45which is
22:46an extremely
22:47dangerous
22:48type of addiction.
22:51He said
22:51that when
22:52he went
22:53into his
22:54dressing room,
22:54he found
22:55full bottles
22:57of vodka
22:57and he drank
22:58one.
23:00When you
23:01watch the
23:01episode,
23:02Dr. Phil
23:03is like,
23:03well,
23:04we have to
23:04get Todd
23:05out here.
23:06We'll ask
23:07Debbie and
23:07Brandon to
23:08bring Todd
23:08out right
23:09now,
23:09and that's
23:10going to be
23:11a bit of
23:11a chore,
23:12but we'll
23:12do what
23:12we can
23:13here.
23:14Shoot.
23:16Dr. Phil
23:17and one
23:18of the
23:18interventionists
23:19each take
23:20an arm.
23:21everyone
23:21is quiet
23:22and all
23:22you can
23:23hear
23:23is just
23:24Todd
23:25crying
23:25quietly.
23:29I'm sorry
23:30I'm crying
23:31because I
23:32just can't
23:33believe this
23:33is happening.
23:36Dr. Phil
23:37is like,
23:37I want
23:38to see
23:38how drunk
23:39you are.
23:41This is a
23:41breathalyzer.
23:43I want you
23:43to blow
23:44into it
23:44really hard
23:45for five
23:46seconds
23:46when I
23:47tell you.
23:47Okay.
23:49Todd felt
23:50like the
23:50Dr. Phil
23:51show had
23:51left the
23:52alcohol
23:52in his
23:53room.
23:56I don't
23:57believe they
23:57just have
23:57breathalyzers
23:58hanging around.
24:00It just
24:00suggests a
24:01level of
24:02premeditation.
24:04So then
24:05Todd blows
24:05a 0.26,
24:06which is
24:07very high,
24:07and Dr. Phil
24:09puts up
24:10on his
24:10screen the
24:12effects of
24:12alcohol
24:13at that
24:13blood
24:14alcohol
24:14level.
24:15At 0.25,
24:17just so
24:18all of
24:18you know,
24:19all mental,
24:20physical,
24:20and sensory
24:21functions
24:21are severely
24:22impaired,
24:23emotionally
24:24and physically
24:25numb,
24:25and possible
24:26loss of
24:27consciousness.
24:28And Dr. Phil
24:29says,
24:29I've never
24:30spoken to
24:30anyone
24:31closer to
24:31death.
24:33Take him
24:34to the
24:35hospital.
24:35What are
24:36you doing?
24:40It was a
24:41very weird
24:42experience to
24:43feel upset at
24:44something that
24:45everyone else
24:45sees, and
24:46nobody thinks
24:47there's anything
24:48wrong with
24:48it.
24:50The hypocrisy
24:51is so
24:52rank.
24:53Once you
24:54understand that
24:56what it
24:56actually is,
24:57is a
24:59ritualistic
25:00humiliation of
25:01people who
25:02have come to
25:02you for
25:02help,
25:05you can't
25:06watch it
25:06and think
25:06it's funny
25:07or meaningless
25:08anymore.
25:08It's just
25:09sad.
25:16Phil is not
25:17doing this
25:17to help
25:18this person.
25:20These people
25:21are objects
25:22to bring
25:22onto stage,
25:23bring in
25:24ratings,
25:24and then
25:25get them
25:25off.
25:28It's all
25:29about the
25:29bottom line.
25:33It was
25:34dysfunctional
25:35and probably
25:35amoral and
25:36terrible,
25:38but it
25:38worked well
25:39enough to
25:39be the
25:40top syndicated
25:40show.
25:42I think it's
25:43hard to tell
25:43people to not
25:44watch that
25:44train wreck,
25:46especially if
25:47watching that
25:47train wreck
25:48makes you feel
25:48better about
25:49your life.
25:50I don't think
25:51that's good for
25:52people, but it
25:52never stopped
25:53the next family
25:53from wanting
25:54to come in.
25:58if it's a
25:59question of
26:01ethics versus
26:02ratings, we
26:04may talk a
26:04better game
26:05now.
26:06It's, I mean,
26:08it's all bullshit.
26:08Everyone wants to
26:09make something
26:11that'll be shared
26:11by a bajillion
26:12people on social
26:13media.
26:16Ratings always
26:17are going to
26:18win.
26:22Guests that
26:22we spoke to,
26:23they described
26:24producers telling
26:25them how amazing
26:26this was going to
26:27be and how
26:27Dr. Phil chose
26:28them because
26:28their story was
26:29important.
26:31But I think
26:32he saw people
26:34as things to
26:35be manipulated
26:36for ratings.
26:39And then they
26:40would get out
26:40on stage
26:41and it would
26:42be just
26:43humiliation.
26:50Right after
26:51you're done
26:51with hair and
26:51makeup, they
26:52put you in
26:52like this room.
26:54It was just
26:54for my son
26:55and I.
26:56Me and my mom
26:56weren't even
26:57together.
26:59Before getting
27:00on the stage,
27:00they had us
27:01sign stuff.
27:03Did you tell
27:04your mom again
27:04that you really
27:05didn't want to
27:05be there?
27:05Yes, I did.
27:06However, my mom
27:07told me that
27:08since we were
27:09already there
27:09that we'd
27:10it was too
27:11late.
27:12At 16,
27:14I wasn't
27:14comfortable with
27:15that.
27:16From my point
27:17of view,
27:17I did not
27:18really have
27:18a choice.
27:20I repeated
27:21to everybody
27:22in the room,
27:23the producers,
27:24hair and
27:24makeup people,
27:25everybody.
27:26Is there any
27:27way we can
27:27back out of
27:28this?
27:28And they
27:29told me no.
27:32I was
27:32terrified.
27:38So this
27:38is the release.
27:40Dr. Phil
27:41does not
27:41and will
27:42not administer
27:42individual
27:43group or
27:44medical therapy.
27:45You have
27:46to agree
27:47that you
27:47will not
27:48sue for
27:49invasion of
27:50privacy,
27:51defamation,
27:52infliction of
27:53emotional distress.
27:54I mean,
27:55you give up
27:55all your rights
27:56to go on
27:57the show
27:57before you
27:58go on it.
27:59And then you
28:00go on the show
28:01and you're
28:02horrifically humiliated
28:03in front of
28:04America.
28:04And then you're
28:05like, oh,
28:06I signed away the
28:07rights to do
28:07anything about
28:08this.
28:08I can't even
28:09talk about it.
28:13Somebody comes
28:13and goes, okay,
28:14it's time for
28:14you to go
28:15on.
28:18You just
28:19head out to
28:19the stage and
28:20all you see
28:20is bright
28:21lights everywhere.
28:29I remember
28:29going up on the
28:31stage in front
28:31of this live
28:32audience.
28:35Physically, I was
28:36shaking.
28:36I could hardly
28:37speak.
28:42When the cameras
28:43began to roll,
28:46immediately Dr. Phil
28:48brought up how
28:49teen pregnancy
28:50was over-glorified
28:51and introduced
28:53me as sort
28:54of like
28:54Exhibit A.
28:56Were you
28:56having unprotected
28:58sex?
28:59Yeah, I was
28:59having unprotected
29:00sex and I was
29:02on birth control.
29:03We were all
29:04told that it
29:05was about
29:06bringing the
29:06family together
29:07but I was
29:09very, like,
29:09shocked and
29:10scared to see
29:11him picking a
29:12side.
29:12Did you get
29:13pregnant on
29:13purpose?
29:14No, I did
29:15not get pregnant
29:15on birth.
29:16Did you want
29:16to get pregnant?
29:17No.
29:18And you
29:19want to keep
29:20the baby?
29:21I'd like to
29:22keep the baby.
29:23And raise
29:24the baby.
29:26But what you
29:27really mean is
29:27you want to
29:28keep the baby
29:29so your family
29:30can raise the
29:30baby, right?
29:32No.
29:33Immediately, this
29:34was about stupid,
29:36dumbass Emily who
29:38does not know
29:39what she's doing.
29:40Who out of
29:41everybody involved
29:42is least equipped
29:43to make this
29:44decision?
29:44I haven't
29:45even met
29:46this man and
29:47this is what
29:48he had already
29:48determined about
29:49my entire life
29:51and all of my
29:51capabilities.
29:53She's a child
29:54having a child.
29:55But part of
29:56growing up is
29:56to realize when
29:57you choose the
29:58behavior, you
29:58choose the
29:59consequences.
30:00And she chose
30:01a behavior here
30:02with a consequence
30:02that affects a
30:03human being for
30:05the rest of
30:06their life.
30:08Dr. Phil did
30:09not ever address
30:10that it was my
30:10choice.
30:11In fact, I did
30:12feel at the time
30:13that Dr. Phil
30:14was depriving
30:15me of that
30:15choice.
30:21I felt
30:22absolutely
30:22humiliated.
30:31There wasn't
30:32any kind of
30:33conversation with
30:33Dr. Phil
30:34before we
30:34actually started.
30:38Dr. Phil
30:39walks out
30:39and the whole
30:40audience claps
30:42and then I
30:43went out on
30:43the stage
30:43and, you
30:44know, sat
30:45in the chair
30:46and they
30:47changed our
30:47names to
30:48be anonymous.
30:50Well, 17-year-old
30:51Addison says
30:52her 18-year-old
30:53brother Colin
30:54is selfish,
30:55arrogant,
30:56and has
30:57molested
30:58multiple people,
30:59including her.
31:01Once he had
31:01talked to me
31:02for a little
31:03bit, they
31:04brought my
31:04mom out
31:04second.
31:06He talked
31:07to my mom
31:08and then he
31:08said, I just
31:09want to let you
31:09know that
31:10your brother's
31:11interview is
31:11going to be
31:11played on the
31:12screen in front
31:13of everybody.
31:14We're going
31:14to hear from
31:15him now.
31:16He does talk
31:17about some
31:18of his
31:20violation of
31:21you in
31:24somewhat graphic
31:24terms.
31:25We've edited it
31:26down as much
31:27as possible.
31:28Are you okay
31:29with us playing
31:30this?
31:30Yeah.
31:32And you had
31:32no idea that
31:33they were going
31:33to do this?
31:34I didn't.
31:36That was
31:37the first
31:37time I
31:38heard him
31:39talking about
31:40it.
31:41My sister
31:42was asleep
31:42on the couch,
31:43so I went
31:44in there and
31:45I was feeling
31:47sober her clothes
31:48and I reached
31:49my hand down
31:50her pants.
31:51And I took
31:51it one step
31:52further and
31:53reached my
31:53hand down
31:54her panties.
31:55He went
31:55into detail
31:56about exactly
31:58what he had
31:58done to me.
31:59And I was
32:00reliving that
32:01trauma on a
32:02stage in front
32:03of an entire
32:04audience.
32:06They brought
32:07my brother
32:07out next.
32:09We had
32:10been separated
32:12for years.
32:14So I did
32:15confront him
32:15maybe a
32:16couple times,
32:17but I pretty
32:18much stayed
32:18quiet after
32:20that.
32:21I honestly,
32:22just sitting
32:22there on that
32:23stage, I felt
32:23like I wanted
32:24to die.
32:26And then
32:27Dr. Phil
32:27kind of leans
32:28up like he's
32:30trying to crack
32:30a joke and
32:31he goes,
32:31well...
32:32I'd like to
32:32thank all of
32:33my guests
32:33today, and
32:35we'll see
32:35you next
32:36time.
32:41It was
32:41like making
32:42a joke
32:42out of the
32:43whole thing.
32:45Dr. Phil
32:46walked off
32:47the stage,
32:48and that
32:49was it.
32:53I just
32:53remember
32:54feeling gutted
32:54like the
32:55wind had
32:56been knocked
32:56out of me.
32:58They don't
32:59care about
32:59your mental
33:00health.
33:00They care
33:01about their
33:01show.
33:05of all
33:06of the
33:07horrible
33:07stories that
33:08I have
33:08heard about
33:09the Dr. Phil
33:10show, I
33:11think Marcy
33:12Newberry's
33:12story is
33:13the worst.
33:15When you're
33:16watching that
33:17teenage boy
33:17describing in
33:18graphic detail
33:19his sexual
33:20assault of
33:21his 11-year-old
33:22sister, and
33:24then Dr. Phil
33:24makes her
33:25watch in front
33:26of a studio
33:26audience, who
33:29are the people
33:29that are watching
33:30it and thinking
33:31like, yeah,
33:31this is good.
33:34It's like
33:34child abuse.
33:35It's like
33:35watching child
33:37abuse.
33:38But it's
33:39entertainment.
33:46Before I
33:46walked out on
33:47the stage, I
33:48thought I was
33:49going to throw
33:49up.
33:51Because I had a
33:52really bad feeling
33:52that something
33:53was wrong.
33:57I was prepared
33:58to tell my
33:59story.
34:00And he
34:00immediately goes
34:01into, you had
34:03warning signs
34:03though.
34:04Now, you had
34:05an instinct and
34:06you ignored it,
34:07right?
34:07Yes, I did.
34:08You said you
34:09had a strange
34:09feeling about it.
34:10Yes.
34:11He was like,
34:12this happened,
34:13yet you did
34:13this.
34:14This happened,
34:15but you did
34:16that.
34:16So it rose to
34:18the level that
34:18you actually said
34:20it out loud.
34:21Yes.
34:22But yet, you
34:23stayed home alone
34:24with her when
34:25your mother took
34:25the boys to
34:26football practice.
34:27And I'm like,
34:28yeah, but that's
34:28not, and he's
34:29like, wait, hold
34:29on, but then
34:30this happened,
34:31and I'm like,
34:31you're not letting
34:32me talk.
34:33How do you
34:34really ask
34:34somebody, like,
34:35hey, are you
34:36trying to kill
34:36me?
34:37That's how
34:37nice you are.
34:38If the
34:39conversation has
34:40gotten to the
34:41point where that
34:42question is part
34:44of the dialogue,
34:46then it's time
34:48for them to go
34:49home.
34:51When the
34:52audience and
34:52him laughed,
34:54that broke
34:55me.
34:57I felt
34:57humiliated.
34:59I felt like
35:00he was blaming
35:01me.
35:02And then all
35:03of a sudden,
35:03he brings out
35:05this book.
35:06I wrote this
35:07book about
35:08people like
35:09you, about
35:10nice people
35:11who get taken
35:13advantage of.
35:14The book is
35:15called Life
35:15Code.
35:18I was
35:19used.
35:20Dr. Phil
35:21promoted his
35:22book and said
35:22that it's about
35:23people just
35:23like me,
35:25people that
35:25are too
35:26nice.
35:27But he used
35:28the fact that I
35:29trusted the Dr.
35:30Phil show to do
35:31it.
35:32That is what a
35:32narcissist does.
35:37And he's a master
35:38manipulator on that
35:39part.
35:43When the show
35:44ends, he doesn't
35:45even say a word to
35:46you.
35:47He just walks
35:47right past you
35:48like you're
35:48nothing.
35:49Woo!
35:50Bye!
35:51The producers
35:52are like, you
35:53did so good.
35:54You know, let's go
35:54back to your
35:55dressing room.
35:57They are there to
35:57get you in and
35:58out so fast.
36:00I bawled my
36:02eyes out in
36:03that cab.
36:05I came onto the
36:06show to take
36:07ten steps
36:08forward.
36:11I had taken
36:11ten steps
36:12backwards.
36:14Dr. Phil just
36:15basically stated that
36:16I was stupid.
36:17and it made me
36:18feel like I
36:19deserved what
36:19happened.
36:22That's always
36:22stuck with me.
36:23It's something that
36:24I can't get out of
36:25my head.
36:26I'm still working
36:27through it, through
36:28therapy now.
36:43I just told my
36:45mom I was scared
36:46to go home
36:47and I was
36:50afraid to
36:52face the world
36:53after kind of
36:54learning that
36:54everybody in the
36:55world was
36:56against me.
36:59My mom,
37:00she apologized.
37:02She has told me
37:03many times that
37:04it was probably
37:05the worst
37:06decision that
37:07she's ever
37:08made in her
37:08entire life
37:10and that she
37:11would do
37:11anything that
37:11she could
37:12to take it
37:12back.
37:16Because of
37:16Dr. Phil
37:17for a very
37:18long time,
37:19I was very
37:20hyper-fixated
37:21on making sure
37:22I was always
37:22doing the right
37:22thing.
37:24I suffered a lot
37:25of very bad
37:26anxiety attacks.
37:29Now I realize
37:30that I should
37:32have been
37:33protected.
37:35I did not
37:36have to
37:37listen to
37:37what everybody
37:38told me.
37:40I was not
37:41being a
37:42difficult child
37:42because I
37:43didn't feel
37:44comfortable going
37:44on television.
37:46I had boundaries
37:47and those boundaries
37:49should have been
37:49respected.
37:56despite what
37:57Dr. Phil
37:57said, I
37:58have an
37:59incredible
37:59daughter.
38:00She is 13
38:01and she is
38:02an honor roll
38:03student, an
38:05advanced orchestra,
38:07first chair.
38:08She gets
38:08straight A's.
38:10Literally the
38:11most thoughtful,
38:13empathetic child.
38:15She is everything
38:17that Dr. Phil
38:17did not expect.
38:27literally I
38:28remember one
38:29guest out of
38:30I mean 50
38:31plus that
38:32left in a
38:33better space
38:33than they
38:34came in.
38:37The first text
38:38that you would
38:38get, you've
38:39ruined my life,
38:40I'm never going
38:41to live this
38:41down.
38:42I mean the
38:43messages, just
38:44horrible, horrible,
38:45horrible.
38:48I don't think
38:49they really
38:49cared about
38:50the guests
38:51or if they
38:52got better.
38:53I think the
38:54guests felt
38:55like they got
38:56thrown out
38:56like trash
38:57when they
38:58bared their
38:59souls on
38:59this show.
39:01We have an
39:02aftercare
39:03program where
39:04we follow up
39:04with 100%
39:06of the people
39:07that are on
39:07the show.
39:08At no expense
39:09to them,
39:10care in their
39:10own community
39:11to work out
39:13about the problem.
39:14There is
39:15something that
39:16he has over
39:17people.
39:19People say
39:20that they
39:21watched his
39:21show and
39:21he seemed
39:22to help
39:22people and
39:23he sends
39:23people to
39:23the best
39:24treatment
39:24in the
39:24whole world.
39:25But I
39:27have a really
39:27hard time
39:28understanding
39:28how you
39:29can believe
39:29it.
39:31I think
39:31people went
39:32on this
39:33show expecting
39:33that it was
39:34going to fix
39:35their lives.
39:38And that's
39:38not what
39:38happened.
39:47Once we
39:48got home
39:48everything
39:49felt
39:49different.
39:50I didn't
39:51feel okay.
39:54There was a
39:54night where
39:55my brother's
39:56interview just
39:56kept playing
39:57in my head
39:57and I decided
39:59that I didn't
39:59want to be
39:59here anymore
40:00because I
40:00knew that
40:01that was
40:01going to
40:01air on
40:02national
40:02television.
40:11I took
40:1130 pain
40:12pills.
40:14I fell on
40:15the floor
40:15and I had
40:15a seizure
40:16and then I
40:17was taken
40:17to the
40:17hospital after
40:18that.
40:18I don't
40:19remember a
40:20lot.
40:20I was
40:20really out
40:21of it.
40:24I almost
40:25died.
40:27The family
40:27was still
40:28broken.
40:29Honestly,
40:29way more
40:30than we
40:30were before
40:31we went
40:31on the
40:31show.
40:34They
40:34throw you
40:35out there.
40:36They send
40:36you home and
40:37you never
40:38speak to
40:38them again.
40:41I was put
40:42in a
40:42psychiatric
40:43facility for
40:44a little
40:44bit.
40:46My mom
40:46declined
40:47mentally and
40:49physically.
40:50She's in a
40:51nursing home
40:51now.
40:52I don't see
40:53my dad
40:54ever and
40:56my brother
40:56is in
40:57prison.
40:58He got
40:59five years
41:00for possession
41:00of child
41:01pornography.
41:06I just
41:07hope Dr.
41:08Phil
41:08realizes
41:09what he's
41:10actually done
41:11and how
41:11deeply
41:12they hurt
41:12people.
41:16Their
41:17promise of
41:17care.
41:18I can
41:19tell you
41:19that it
41:20comes at
41:21a price.
41:23Over a
41:24decade of
41:24hell for
41:25us is
41:25just an
41:26episode number
41:27for Dr.
41:27Phil.
41:28I told
41:29the neighbors
41:30get cameras,
41:32film it all.
41:33They're
41:33paying them
41:33as consultants
41:34to make
41:35sure that
41:35the Dr.
41:36Phil
41:36referrals
41:36keep rolling
41:37in.
41:38What
41:38treatment
41:39providers
41:39actually go
41:40on the Dr.
41:41Phil show?
41:41Surely Dr.
41:43Phil
41:43wouldn't be
41:44sending kids
41:45off to be
41:45abused.
41:46Dr.
41:47Phil says,
41:47I have
41:48security guards
41:49at every door.
41:50Nobody leaves.
41:51All of us
41:52have wanted
41:54to say,
41:55this happened,
41:56please stop this
41:57from happening.
41:58It's very hard
42:00to follow the money,
42:01but you know
42:01the money
42:01is going
42:02somewhere.
42:31going
42:47to go.
42:48I'm
42:48going
42:48You
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