Weird Things About Dr. Phil And Robin McGraw's Marriage
Dr. Phil has been doling out the tough love on his daytime show for 21 seasons. Over the years, an endless stream of people have received the Dr. Phil treatment, some for better and some for worse. With his willingness to critique and share advice, you'd be forgiven for thinking everything is absolutely perfect in Dr. Phil's life. But not so fast! Proving he's just like us, there are a few weird things about Dr. Phil's marriage.
As any viewer knows, Dr. Phil's wife, Robin McGraw, is a near-constant fixture on his show. Robin's even hopped on the stage to cohost with her hubby on occasion. The couple isn't shy about sharing their love and the secrets to their long-lasting marriage with the public. And, even though detractors often question Dr. Phil's advice, there's no room for doubt regarding the longevity of his and Robin's marriage.
Sparks immediately flew between Dr. Phil and Robin when her sister introduced them five decades ago. It wasn't long before Dr. Phil got down on one knee. The lady said yes, and they tied the knot in 1976. The couple welcomed their first child, Jay McGraw, in 1979 and their second, Jordon McGraw, in 1986. The couple is wholeheartedly devoted to their clan, especially their two grandkids. From the outside, it looks like Dr. Phil and Robin have a simpatico marriage, but you'll get a different view if you take a peek inside.
Fight-free harmony
When the cameras are rolling, Dr. Phil is a master at handling conflict. He wades right in and isn't afraid to duke it out with unruly guests. Dr. Phil also loves to battle the tabloids and has the lawsuit settlements to prove it. However, it's a different story when it comes to his marriage. Because, unlike pretty much every other married couple, Robin McGraw insists that she and Dr. Phil never fight, which even her closest friends find weird.
"People cannot understand when we say we don't fight," Robin told New You (via USA Today). "They go, 'That's just not natural, you're lying! Couples fight.' But we don't fight." In fact, they've never even raised their voice to each other. In another interview with New You, Robin explained that Dr. Phil's dad regularly yelled at his mom, and the couple made a vow early on that they would never follow in his footsteps. "I told him, 'I can't live like that. It's not natural for me,'" Robin shared. "He got it and has never raised his voice around me."
Dr. Phil shared their secret to keeping things battle-free in an interview with Us Weekly. "All couples fight and have disagreements, but we don't have big blowups because we deal with things when they arise," he said. "We don't let it build up for a week, two weeks, three weeks..."
Never-ending wedding cake
Robin McGraw and Dr. Phil also differ from other couples regarding gift-giving and marking special events. Dr. Phil doesn't drink, so that's partying ticked off the list. Still, he does know how to celebrate, albeit unconventionally, and he also knows the way to his wife's heart. Robin shared that the couple has ditched run-of-the-mill champagne and settled on wedding cake instead. And the cake is not just for anniversaries; it's the go-to gift for all events.
"He always does the one thing he knows I really love, and that is getting my favorite dessert for every occasion, wedding cake," Robin told People. "That is my go-to dessert, and he knows I love it and always makes sure it is here for me." You might think that receiving the same present over and over every year for fifty years would get boring, but luckily for Robin, Dr. Phil keeps it fresh by mixing things up. "Sometimes it's small, but sometimes it is big! It is always different sizes," Robin shared. "That's what is fun about it, like what is he going to do this year?"
Dr. Phil even gives the gift of wedding cake on birthdays, and Robin's totally there for it. "Mr Precious surprised me with this birthday cake in our room when we arrived in Las Vegas! He knows how much I love 'wedding cake' for every occasion!!" she captioned a selfie of her, Dr. Phil, and a large yellow wedding cake.
Under surveillance
Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw have hardly spent a day apart during their fifty years of marriage. The couple had a three-month separation when they were dating, but they missed each other so much that Dr. Phil put a ring on it. "We went out to dinner, and he said, 'I miss you, and I love you. I want to marry you. I don't want to lose you,'" Robin told Closer. "And so, we got engaged a few weeks later on Valentine's Day. Six months after that, we were married."
When they are away from each other, they make sure that they're still in close contact at all times. "When we do have to be apart, we never go for more than two or three days," Dr. Phil told Us Weekly. "If I have to go to New York to tape something and I'm up at 6 a.m., and it's 3 a.m. in L.A., she'll FaceTime me before she goes to sleep. I'm like, 'What are you doing?' She doesn't like to go to bed when I'm not here."
The couple is so committed to staying close that they even keep an eye on each other when they're in different parts of the same house. "Robin watching on security cam. Sent me text: Did you get your teams mixed up!" Dr. Phil captioned a photo of him playing tennis with his buddies on their outside court.
Seperate rackets
Dr. Phil is a tennis fanatic. He's often caught on camera working up a sweat on the court and showing off his groundstroke. His love of tennis runs so deep that Robin McGraw even threw a special tennis tournament for him in honor of his 72 birthday, according to the MailOnline. To add to the treat, Dr. Phil's tennis buddies flew in to catch some matches during the four-day-long sports extravaganza.
However, watching her husband from the sidelines and keeping a beady eye on him while he's out volleying is probably the closest Robin will get to Dr. Phil while he's playing the sport. Because, despite their love of sticking together at all times, they've vowed never to share a tennis court. "Ask us how many times we've played doubles on the tennis court. One time! It was our first and last." Robin told Us Weekly. "We're too competitive," Dr. Phil chimed in.
Tennis may be strictly off the table, but the spouses still abide by the adage "the couple who plays together stays together." They've just replaced the forehand twists with pinball spins. "We play a lot of pinball. We have a pinball machine, and we go out there at night when we should be in bed and play pinball," Dr. Phil told Us Weekly. "We always agree to play one or two games, but we're both competitive and end up playing maybe 10 or 15. It's ridiculous, but it's so fun!" Robin shared.