Telltale Signs Dr. Phil And Wife Robin Are Having Money Troubles
Dr. Phil is reportedly worth around $400 million, thanks mainly to his highly successful talk show, "Dr. Phil." Centering on his tough-love advice for those seeking to change their lives for the "better," the show aired its season finale in 2023. However, Dr. Phil, who's been criticized for his deeply shady side (and whether or not he's really a doctor), is having some serious money trouble. The divisive media figure, known legally as Phillip McGraw, recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for his Merit Street Media company, which he co-founded with his wife, Robin. Upon its launch in 2023, he claimed in a press release that the new chapter would uphold "America's core values."
But McGraw's new media company never fully got off the ground. He's filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid multimillion-dollar lawsuits involving TBN, Trinity Broadcasting Group, which Merit Street claimed failed to hold up their end of a massive distribution deal, and the Professional Bull Riders' Association, which believes that Merit Street owes them nearly $200 million for failing to air their content, according to Fox News 4.
McGraw's request was shot down by a judge, claiming that the talk show host had miscategorized its filing to deny repayment to creditors. "Before bankruptcy, after wresting control of the company away from TBN, Phil McGraw decided to pull the plug on the financially distressed Merritt [sic] Street and move the business to a new company," said Judge Scott Everett, who recategorized Merit Street's request into Chapter 7 bankruptcy. "The debtor fired nearly all its employees on the first day of the case and immediately sued Trinity. All that's left is litigation, and the sale of a media library, and not much else."
Was Dr. Phil's MAGA shift the cause of his downfall?
Dr. Phil's way of fighting for America's soul was taking a sharp right turn into MAGA country, as he aligned himself with Donald Trump, although he'd claimed in November 2024 that he'd only endorsed Trump in the 2024 presidential election because Kamala Harris declined to speak with him. "That was an act of rebellion on my part," Dr. Phil shared with Piers Morgan (via Deadline). "I requested 25-plus times to speak to Kamala Harris — I offered to give the identical speech at a Harris rally." Despite the rampant support he's generated from Trump land since making the shift, Dr. Phil's content failed to attract a strong, reliable viewership. Per Variety, Merit Street Media only brought in about 27,000 viewers per week in 2024.
Social media has shared some extra fiery reactions to news of the host's financial and business woes, with many sharing why they can't stand Dr. Phil. On Reddit, for example, one user suggested that Dr. Phil pivoted right because of financial incentives, but simply wasn't good at it. "Legit skill issue," they wrote. "The right wing grift is the easiest way to make money, especially if you're already rich and famous." They continued, "Gotta be the most incompetent person ever to fail at grifting at a time when the current US president and his entire administration are openly corrupt and granting high level government contracts and cabinet positions to all their famous conservative buddies." Meanwhile, another suggested that he should give up his new venture and enjoy his retirement years. "... Multiple millions of dollars, but that's not enough..." they wrote.