For better and for worse, Dr. Phil McGraw has been a mainstay on daytime TV for nearly 20 years. He’s made a career off of trying to help better the lives of others.
But not many people actually know a lot about this star ! Help us celebrate by checking out these 10+ facts about Dr. Phil that fans didn’t know.
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1. Dr. Phil was a former football star.
Given his size, it isn’t hard to imagine that Dr. Phil was once a force to be reckoned with on the gridiron.
He played linebacker and was even given an athletic scholarship to the University of Tulsa.
2. He was discovered by Oprah.
In 1998, Dr. Phil helped Oprah Winfrey win a lawsuit . He then became a regular on her show, before he launched his own highly successful daytime talk show.
Thus proving that Oprah’s powers know no bounds.
3. His son, Jordan, is a famous recording artist!
Jordan McGraw has opened up for The Jonas Brothers and his debut music video for the song “Flexible” was actually directed by Joe Jonas as well!
Dr. Phil even makes a cameo appearance!
4. Four years after receiving his undergrad, Dr. Phil completed a Ph. D in Psychology.
For all the haters who say that Dr. Phil isn’t actually a doctor, read it and weep! He received his Ph. D from the University of North Texas .
Phil opened a practice with his father.
5. Dr. Phil doesn’t drink.
It’s been well-documented that Dr. Phil came from a troubled home . His father was an alcoholic and could be incredibly abusive.
Because of this negative association with alcohol, Dr. Phil claims to have not had a drink in over 45 years.
6. Dr. Phil sued *The National Inquirer* for $250 million USD.
Dr. Phil alleged that the tabloid had done irreparable harm to his reputation.
He went on to say that the allegations of spousal abuse, both physical and emotional, were nothing more than a rouse to sell papers.
7. He and his wife Robin have been married for more than 40 years!
As Dr. Phil explained to Jimmy Fallon, the secret to a long-lasting marriage is all about learning how to interpret things.
“Like, whenever your wife says ‘what?’ It isn’t that she didn’t hear you. She’s giving you a chance to change what you said!”
8. His other son, Jay, looks to follow in his father’s footsteps.
Jay is an Emmy Award-winning producer, known for shows like The Doctors . He’s also a New York Times Best-Selling Author, six times over.
He also makes regular cameo appearances on Dr. Phil .
9. He once performed live on stage with Good Charlotte.
Good Charlotte was an incredibly popular pop-punk band in the early 2000s.
During a guest appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden , Dr. Phil belted out their classic “Lifestyles Of The Rich And The Famous.”
10. He knows how to laugh at himself.
Dr. Phil made a cameo appearance in the film Scary Movie 4 .
During the opening scene, he jokes about how he really isn’t a “real” doctor, and that all he tells people to do is “get real.”
11. He recently got in hot water over highly controversial comments regarding COVID-19.
Dr. Phil was trying to compare statistics of COVID deaths against things like automobile accidents, poverty-related deaths, and even swimming pools .
He asked if we don’t shut the country down for these things, why are we closing down for COVID?
12. He helped launch the career of Bhad Bhabie.
Remember Danielle Peskowitz Bregoli? She was a troubled young teen who appeared on Dr. Phil years ago.
You’ll probably remember her as the “cash me outside” girl. Well, she’s all grown up — sort of.
Danielle is now a famous (or infamous) rapper who goes by the stage name Bhad Bhabie.
Not a whole lot has changed as far as her behavior is concerned, either. Danielle has also been linked to fellow trouble artists like Tekashi 69 , as well as Trippie Redd.
If those names don’t mean anything to you, consider yourself lucky.
13. Dr. Phil has asserted that there is a “cheating gene.”
The good doctor made a guest appearance on CBS News to discuss the subject. He says that 70% of what causes a man to cheat is social, learned behaviors.
The other 30% comes down to biological hardwiring — apparently.
14. His sister-in-law was the victim of a horrible random act of violence.
Cindi Broaddus was the sister of Phil’s wife, Robin. While she was driving down the highway, her vehicle was hit with a jar of sulfuric acid that someone had thrown from above the overpass.
It crashed through the windshield, permanently scarring more than 70% of her body.
