Posted Mar 9th 2010 12:03AM by TMZ Staff
Dr. Phil McGraw doesn't want to see the deposition in his interior design lawsuit ending up on the Internet -- and he's filed court papers to make sure that never happens.
The good doctor is involved in a he-said/she-said lawsuit with a decorating duo that claims Phil and his wife Robin screwed them over. The McGraws countersued, saying they were overcharged for work.
According to court docs filed last week, McGraw wants to make sure his videotaped deposition is sealed because he thinks "the plaintiffs believe that the threat of the release of the discovery to the tabloids will give them leverage in the case."
Both sides are due back in court next month.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Dr. Phil, Exclusives
Tags: deposition, dr. phil, Dr.Phil, fraud, lawsuit, leaked, phil mcgraw, PhilMcgraw, robin mcgraw, RobinMcgraw, videotaped
Posted Feb 17th 2010 9:35AM by TMZ Staff
Evander Holyfield and his wife Candi are desperately trying to work out their marriage woes -- but the boxer believes the only way it can be saved is with the help of one Dr. Phil McGraw.
Just days after Candi agreed to drop her request for a protective order against Evander, the two issued a joint statement saying, "We are in agreement that we both are moving forward to reach out to meet with Dr. Phil one-on-one as we believe he is the one who can help us at this time."
The couple added, "We each admire and respect Dr. Phil for his down to earth and heartfelt approach in working with couples and relationships in a positive and uplifting way."
Filed under: TMZ Sports, Dr. Phil, Dirty Divorces, Exclusives
Tags: boxing, candi, dr phil mcgraw, DrPhilMcgraw, evander holyfield, EvanderHolyfield, marriage
Posted Nov 30th 2009 12:00AM by TMZ Staff
Dr. Phil wants everyone to know he wasn't responsible for a 2007 bus crash that injured 17 mothers -- it was all that pesky bus company's fault.
According to docs filed last week in L.A. Superior Court, the production company behind the "Dr. Phil" show claims it ain't their problem the bus they hired to transport a group of mothers to see the show had faulty brakes ... and ultimately plowed into a tree.
The "Dr. Phil" show was sued back in September by 5 passengers who claimed the show "negligently hired" a crappy bus to transport them to a taping of the show -- and therefore the crash was partly the show's fault.
So far, Dr. Phil's company has denied all liability -- but if a court says Dr. Phil and his people are liable anyway, the show wants the bus company to cover their fair share of the damages.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Dr. Phil, Exclusives
Tags: bus, company, dr. phil, Dr.Phil, lawsuit, mothers
Posted Oct 22nd 2009 5:00PM by TMZ Staff
There's one man in the Balloon Boy saga who isn't a total media whore -- the Larimer County Sheriff claims he told Dr. Phil to kick rocks!
Sheriff Jim Alderden just posted a hilarious blog on the LCSO's website -- describing all the craziness he put up with in the wake of that little "spaceship balloon incident" ... and he didn't hold back.
In the blog, Alderden claims he was inundated with calls and emails from all sorts of "wing-nuts" -- some of whom called him "big mouthed," "fat" and "bald-headed."
Alderden quotes one person who wrote in just to criticize his American flag shirt -- saying " I will encourage any federal investigators working with you on the balloon boy case to charge you with crimes against the flag if that shirt is worn again."
Jim fared better with the Finnish -- one foreign fan telling him "you are good looking, a 'real man' ... you have a sense of humor when you tell the story." Alderden replied, "I might be moving to a Scandinavian country at the end of my term."
But the best call came in from a guy who claimed he had proof Hillary Clinton was an alien. The Sheriff's reply -- "At least that caller had some credibility."
Filed under: Dr. Phil, Balloon Boy
Tags: balloon boy, BalloonBoy, falcon heene, FalconHeene, jim alderden, JimAlderden, mayummi heene, MayummiHeene, richard heene, RichardHeene
Posted Oct 13th 2009 8:10PM by TMZ Staff
Another woman has filed a lawsuit against Dr. Phil -- claiming she too was forced to be in the same room with a "completely naked man, who was exposing his entire naked body, genitals and all."
The lawsuit, filed in L.A. County Superior Court by a woman named Crystal Matchett, is basically the same as the one filed by Shirley Dieu last week -- with one exception ... Crystal never accuses Dr. Phil of grabbing her boob.
Crystal alleges Phil brainwashed her, exposed her to the naked man and then prevented her from leaving Phil's production office -- the same location where Shirley also claims the weirdness went down.
Phil claimed the last lawsuit was "without merit" -- we're assuming the same statement applies here.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Dr. Phil, Exclusives
Posted Oct 8th 2009 4:50PM by TMZ Staff
A rep for Dr. Phil just sent TMZ the following statement vehemently denying the TV shrink did anything wrong to the woman accusing him of holding her captive in his offices, forcing her to stare at a naked man and grabbing her breast:
"All of Shirley Rae Dieu's claims are without merit. As with all of the occupants of the DR. PHIL House, Ms. Dieu participated voluntarily, having submitted her personal story with the hope that she could confront, and overcome, her individual issues.
Dr. Phil is never alone in the House with any of these guests and all of his interactions are captured on video and/or audio tape. All guests are, of course, free to come and go as they please and once Ms. Dieu expressed her discomfort, and producers ascertained there was nothing they could do to help her, they called a car service to return her to her home.
Ms. Dieu filed a claim with the Los Angeles Police Department some 9 months after the incident, which was investigated and ultimately not pursued by the Los Angeles City Attorney. All guests of the show are treated with dignity and respect and the show stands by the manner in which she was handled while participating on the show."
Dieu is suing Dr. Phil for an unspecified amount of money.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Dr. Phil
Tags: Dr Phil House, dr. phil, Dr.Phil, DrPhilHouse, lawsuit, shirley rae dieu, ShirleyRaeDieu, statement
Posted Oct 7th 2009 8:20PM by TMZ Staff
Dr. Phil is being sued by a woman who claims the TV shrink held her captive inside his production offices, forced her to stare at a naked man -- and then grabbed her left breast.
According to the suit, filed today in L.A. County Superior Court, a woman named Shirley Dieu claims she went to Phil to seek therapy in 2007 -- but instead she claims the doc tried to "brainwash" her and force her to endure all sorts of physical and emotional abuse.
In the docs, Shirley claims Phil forced her to "be in the same room with a completely naked live man while he exposed his entire naked body, genitals and all."
Shirley alleges she tried to escape the building, but "was blocked by the staff to prevent her from leaving."
In the docs, Shirley also claims Phil "touched her left breast during her therapy session."
Shirley also claims Phil lied to her about being a "real" doctor -- alleging that the TV shrink "is not licensed to practice in the state of California."
Shirley doesn't specify how much money she wants from Phil -- but we're assuming it's an insane figure.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Dr. Phil, Exclusives
Tags: dr. phil, Dr.Phil, lawsuit, shirley dieu, ShirleyDieu
Posted Sep 29th 2009 12:55AM by TMZ Staff
Five "Dr. Phil" fans are now suing the very show they once loved -- after a road trip to catch a taping of the program allegedly turned into the worst experience of their lives.
Flashback to December 2007, when a bus chartered by the "Dr. Phil" show -- which was carting members of a Ventura County mothers group to see the show -- crashed while en route, injuring 17 people.
According to the lawsuit, filed earlier this month in L.A. County Superior Court, the brakes on the bus "failed and lost power, making the bus unable to stop" ... causing it to collide with "another vehicle, two concrete curbs, an iron fence and two trees."
Now, five women on board that bus are suing Dr. Phil's production company, claiming the show "negligently hired" the faulty bus to pick them up.
The five women are asking for unspecified damages against Dr. Phil's production company -- Peteski Productions -- along with Bus America, Inc. and the bus driver.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Dr. Phil, Exclusives
Tags: accident, bus america, bus crash, BusAmerica, BusCrash, dr. phil, Dr.Phil, lawsuit, peteski productions, PeteskiProductions, phil mcgraw, PhilMcgraw
Posted Jul 22nd 2009 12:20AM by TMZ Staff
An interior design team who claim Dr. Phil McGraw and his wife Robin breached an oral contract has now upped the ante in their lawsuit.
Deborah Flattery and Brynja McGrady -- who sued the McGraws in March -- now allege fraud, false advertising and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The designers, who developed a line of skin care products, claim Robin promised to promote the products on her husband's show -- but never did. They also claim they were never fully paid for their services.
In response, the McGraws counter-sued for fraud -- claiming Flattery and McGrady over-charged them for a re-do of the couple's master suite.
McGraw attorney Frederick Friedman told us, "The McGraws are simply seeking to recover what the decorators actually admit to having received by fraud."
But the McGrady's attorney, Stephen Lowe, denies any fraud -- telling us his clients are part of an elaborate scheme concocted by the McGraws ... one in which the couple doesn't fully pay their vendors.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Dr. Phil
Tags: dr. phil, dr. phil mcgraw, Dr.Phil, Dr.PhilMcgraw, robin mcgraw, RobinMcgraw
Posted Apr 21st 2009 7:06PM by TMZ Staff
A couple that appeared on a "Dr. Phil" episode for domestic abuse was just busted on suspicion of robbing an Ohio pharmacy of hundreds of painkillers.
Kurtis DeWitt and his girlfriend, Megan Lillo -- who once told Dr. Phil that Kurtis beat, choked, slapped and hit her with a rock -- were arrested last week after Kurtis allegedly stormed into a Kaiser Wells Pharmacy wearing a mask and a hoodie and demanded large amounts of OxyContin. According to the Norwalk Reflector, the pharmacist forked over the pills and Kurtis allegedly hopped in a getaway car driven by Lillo.
But get this: Cops weren't able to catch DeWitt right away, but were able to place him at the Kaiser Wells Pharmacy by checking the logs on an ankle bracelet he was wearing for a previous crime spree ... in which Lillo had also been the getaway driver.
DeWitt was charged with aggravated robbery and Lillo with one count of conspiracy.
Filed under: Train Wrecks, Dr. Phil
Tags: arrested, couple, dr. phil, Dr.Phil, Kaiser Wells Pharmacy, KaiserWellsPharmacy, kuris dewitt, KurisDewitt, megan lillo, MeganLillo, pharmacy, pills, robbery
Posted Mar 31st 2009 1:29PM by TMZ Staff
It looks like eBay could also stand for electronic black market -- because the couple who confessed to being professional shoplifters on "Dr. Phil" just happen to have sold a TON of stuff on the website.
An eBay account connected to the address of Matthew Eaton -- whose house was raided after he and his wife appeared on "Dr. Phil" -- shows an unbelievable 628 positive feedbacks (and only 1 negative) on items sold in the last year.
During Matt's filmed shoplifting trip on "Phil," he guessed he had stolen around $700 of "mostly Lego stuff" -- and there just happens to be, coincidentally, a ton of Lego stuff sold on this eBay account... over $5,000 worth in March alone.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Dr. Phil
Tags: auction, dr phil, DrPhil, ebay, matthew eaton, MatthewEaton
Posted Mar 31st 2009 12:45PM by TMZ Staff
A couple who went on "Dr. Phil" to confess to their shoplifting lifestyle just got their home raided by cops -- we're thinking they should be imprisoned for felony dumb.
The San Diego Regional Fraud Task Force seized toys, a car and other stuff from Laura and Matthew Eaton's home. Cops were on the hunt for the pilfered items which the couple says were worth around $100,000 a year.
During the "Dr. Phil" special, the Eatons allowed cameras to film them hitting up 27 stores on a three-day, $5,000 shoplifting extravaganza. The U.S. Secret Service confirmed to the The North County Times that a search warrant was issued last Thursday, but no arrests have been made.
Fact is, this was so yesterday -- the show aired during November sweeps. Phil's March book is all about OctoMom -- investigate her!
Filed under: Dr. Phil
Tags: dr. phil, Dr.Phil, Laura Eaton, LauraEaton, Matthew Eaton, MatthewEaton, shoplifters
Posted Mar 11th 2009 5:16PM by TMZ Staff
Dr. Phil has been roped into a $4 million lawsuit -- and it's all over a promise his wife allegedly made to feature some skin care products on her hubby's TV show.
According to a lawsuit, filed today in L.A. County Superior Court, Phil's wife Robin promised the Miracle Hydrate skin company that she had enough juice to get Phil to feature their creams and lotions on "The Dr. Phil Show."
The skin company claims they were so fired up about the "promise," they spent $650,000 gearing up for the wave of sales they expected to follow.
Of course, the products were never featured on the show, and the skin care company is pissed -- demanding millions of dollars in lost profits.
Calls to The Doc and his wife have not yet been returned.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Dr. Phil
Tags: dr phil, dr phil lawsuit, dr phil show, dr phil sued, DrPhil, DrPhilLawsuit, DrPhilShow, DrPhilSued, miracle hydrate company sues dr phil, MiracleHydrateCompanySuesDrPhil, skin care company, SkinCareCompany
