America’s favorite TV shrink Dr. Phil McGraw is being accused of running a toxic workplace, according to some traumatized staffers who charge they’ve been reduced to tears, constantly fear for their jobs and suffer nightmares from their trauma!
Shell-shocked employees claim they’ve gone public in a desperate bid to get Dr. Phil to implement backstage changes on his popular TV show before they all need therapy themselves.
“Phil’s staff read reports on how Ellen DeGeneres fostered a horrible work environment, but for most of them it sounded like a walk in the park compared to their jobs,” notes a source. “Phil lives and dies by his ratings and he believes his iron-fist style is the only thing that’s made the show successful.
“But it’s come at the cost of some really ugly confrontations and shattered relationships with his staff.”
More than a dozen staffers recently revealed the 71-year-old unlicensed mental health expert’s producers have made their lives a living hell.
“There was full-blown yelling, calling people idiots, and slamming doors — things that would not be acceptable in any other job in any other business,” blasts one former staffer.
Another adds, “Even when I quit, I had to go into therapy for it, which is crazy because you’re working for a therapist. Everyone was pretty miserable. You would walk into the building and there was just a palpable dread and anxiety.”
A spy on the set says the drama has spiked as the show’s ratings decline, turning the show into “a war zone.” Daily viewership has dwindled to 2.5 million compared to the 6 million McGraw drew after launching Dr. Phil in 2002.
Staffers complain McGraw’s chief lieutenants blame underlings if they don’t produce guests who are “dramatic enough” for TV.
“If Phil feels the guests aren’t amped up enough on camera, he walks off the set yelling and screaming and blames it on his staff,” dishes an insider.
But McGraw’s attorney, H. Patrick Morris, categorically denies the staffers’ shocking claims, insisting the allegations are absurd, according to recent published reports.
But a source insists Dr. Phil apparently has no shame when it comes to his employees’ outbursts.
“If he sees anyone crying, they are chastised by producers for showing emotion,” says the insider. “It’s bizarre that the whole show is based on Phil caring for people, but that therapeutic style is lost when it comes to his staff.”
