If you’re reading this, chances are you are just like me, and Dr. Phil is your guilty pleasure. There is just so much juicy drama and for some reason, watching other people’s problems makes us feel much better about our own lives. Of course, the bizarre stories and crazy guests are there for ratings, but we can’t fault Dr. Phil for that. It’s extremely entertaining for viewers.
All his guests have some sort of issues, but every once in a while, someone shows up with a little extra crazy that makes us cringe more than usual. When you think you’ve seen it all, turn on an episode of Dr. Phil. With 20 seasons and over 2,000 episodes, we’ve gathered the most shocking guests to ever appear on Dr. Phil. Let’s see if you remember these episodes.
The Teenager Who Was Convinced She Was Pregnant With a Baby Jesus
This has got to be one of the cringiest guests to ever appear on Dr. Phil. Haley was convinced that she was pregnant and that her baby was a reincarnation of baby Jesus. Obviously, she wasn’t carrying baby Jesus, but that’s not the weirdest part. Haley wasn’t even pregnant.
Despite the ultrasound she did on live TV confirming that she wasn’t pregnant, she wouldn’t believe it. But she seems to have other issues with delusions (or lies), considering she also claimed to be Eminem’s daughter and pretended she was a contestant on American Idol.
The Mom Who Encouraged Her Daughter to Become an Exotic Dancer
Dr. Phil is no stranger to troubled young teenagers, but Miranda’s story was a little different. She was the one who had to bring her mother to the show. Ever since Miranda’s mom went to a strip club with her husband, she became obsessed with strippers and their looks.
She also tried to make her teenage daughter equally obsessed. For starters, emulating strippers isn’t inappropriate for a high school girl. But all that aside, Miranda’s mother forced her daughter to get breast implants and installed a stripper pole in their house. Classy.
The Teacher Who Sued the Student She Was Sleeping With
There is something about teachers sleeping with students. These kids put their trust in their educators, and to become sexually involved with underage children in your care is disgusting. That said, Tanya Ramirez was fired and arrested after being in an intimate relationship with her 17-year-old student.
After she lost her job and destroyed her reputation, she decided to blame the student and even went so far as to sue him. Ramirez explained that the student set her up on purpose, and she tried to sue him for emotional distress. Surprise, surprise, she lost the case.
The Lady Who Faked Cancer
I had a friend who pretended to have cancer, so this one really hits close to home. Let me tell you, that friend was crazy and so was Patricia. It may be hard to believe that someone would lie about something so serious, but Patricia claimed to have had brain cancer three times and 17 strokes.
People helped her raise funds for cancer treatments, but she used the fundraising money to go shopping. Patricia’s daughter, Jessica, brought her mother on the show because she didn’t understand why her mom was lying. Dr. Phil mostly just yelled at her – because who the heck lies about having cancer?!
The Guy Who Thinks He Wrote All of Taylor Swift’s Songs
When Riley appeared on the show, it was difficult to distinguish whether he was delusional or a pathological liar. Riley insisted that he was the songwriting genius behind Taylor Swift’s hit songs like Shake It Off. Needless to say, he isn’t.
As it turned out, Dr. Phil is personal friends with Taylor’s mom and gave her a call. Neither Taylor nor her mother had ever even heard of Riley. Dr. Phil called him out and accused Riley of knowingly lying on the show. Come on, Riley, you had to know you would get caught. This is Dr. Phil we are talking about.
The Dad Who Wanted to Star in Adult Films… Again
I don’t even know where to start with this one. This man doesn’t want to start a career in adult films. He used to star in them and really wants to get back into that line of work. Chuck went on Dr. Phil to confess his big dreams to his wife.
To each their own. If someone wants to be in adult movies, who am I to judge? I just can’t stop thinking about his poor wife, who had no say in the matter. While he was in California taping the show, Chuck had already spoken to his former employer to get him back on set. He sure sounds like a winner!
The Original Catfish
Before MTV’s show Catfish, victims of online scammers appeared on shows like Dr. Phil to expose these catfish. Dennis spent $200,000 for his fiancé to come back to America after a business trip to South Africa. This should be an obvious tip, but never give money to someone you have never met in person.
Of course, Dr. Phil didn’t disappoint. He gave us what we wanted and exposed the scammer before Dennis screamed out a bunch of nice words to his catfish “fiancé” on live television. It’s heartbreaking to see how in love Dennis was with this fake person.
“Cash Me Outside” Girl
After appearing on an episode of Dr. Phil, Danielle Bregoli became an instant internet sensation thanks to a sentence that ultimately became her catchphrase: “Cash me outside, how bout dat?” But Bregoli had a whole bunch of problems that she had no interest in fixing.
The name of the episode says enough: “I Want to Give Up My Car-Stealing, Knife-Wielding, Twerking 13-Year-Old Daughter Who Tried to Frame Me for a Crime.” Yikes, that’s quite the mouthful. Her 15 seconds of fame didn’t help and encouraged the teenager to act like a brat and give off this “tough guy” persona, which, honestly, isn’t fooling anyone.
Burke Ramsey’s First Interview
Two decades after six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey died was found dead in her basement on Christmas 1996, her brother, Burke Ramsey, gave his first interview ever. He spoke to Dr. Phil about the case along with his father, John Ramsey (who has been suspected of committing the murder with his wife – although they were both exonerated based on DNA evidence).
However, viewers found Burke’s mannerisms strange and creepy. It was weird that he couldn’t speak about his dead sister without smiling. Dr. Phil later defended Burke claiming he was nervous. It didn’t help that a documentary came out around the same time accusing Burke of killing his sister.
The Mother-in-Law Who Thought Her Daughter-in-Law Was a Murderer
Most of us don’t get along with our in-laws, but just be thankful that yours don’t accuse you of being a murderer (hopefully). In this episode, a woman, her son, and daughter-in-law went on Dr. Phil to discuss the fact that the mother-in-law hadn’t met her grandchildren.
So, why wasn’t she allowed to meet her own grandkids? Well, the mom is convinced that her daughter-in-law has five aliases and that she killed her other son. After some thorough Dr. Phil digging, both of those things have been proven to be false. There is no evidence to support any of her mother-in-law’s statements.
Mama June and Her Creepy Boyfriend
Do you remember that moment in time when Honey Boo Boo was on top of the world? The entire world fell in love with pageant queen Alana Thompson on the reality show Toddlers & Tiaras. She was so popular that she got her very own show, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.
But behind the scenes, the family had some dark secrets. Dr. Phil called out her stage mother, Mama June, for dating a man who sexually abused her other daughter Anna. If you questioned her parenting style before, this took it to a whole new level.
Bailey Caused Dr. Phil to Call Off the Interview Mid-Show
Usually, the guests bring the drama to the show, but in this case, it was Dr. Phil himself. Bailey was your typical girl who fell in love with a person from Twitter whom she had never met in person. Obviously, this is childish and potentially dangerous behavior, but Bailey didn’t want to grow up.
At one point on the show, Bailey exclaimed, “Y’all can laugh at me. It’s fine. I will be your spectacle,” and Dr. Phil wasn’t having any of it. He immediately shut down the interview because he said she was playing the victim. She wouldn’t acknowledge her mistakes and learn from them.
Shelley Duvall Kept Blabbing About Robin Williams’ Death
Chances are that you recognize Shelley Duvall from her role as Wendy in The Shining, but she hasn’t been seen much since 2002. However, she returned to the small screen on Dr. Phil. Her interview was a surprise, but curious fans tuned in to see what she’s been up to.
People thought it was crazy enough that she appeared on television, but things were about to get weirder. Things took an odd turn when she spent most of her interview talking about how she believes Robin Williams is not dead and that he is just “shape-shifting.”
The Woman Who Divorced Her Man for Kip Moore
Everyone has their celebrity crushes (I’ve been obsessed with Jesse McCartney since I was 13), but this woman took things a little too far. Jenna was in love with country singer Kip Moore. So in love, that just two days after meeting him at his concert, she went home and filed for divorce.
Things got even crazier because she alleged that her real husband, Travis, was abusive. Jenna was either seeking attention or in a state of delusion. Thankfully, Dr. Phil knocked some sense into her. Jenna even admitted that she has no chance with Kip Moore.
Mama-Daughter Sugar Baby Businesses
These ladies seem like your ordinary mother-daughter business duo. Well, that’s until you realize their business is being professional sugar babies. The daughter, Rylee, first got into the business on her own before convincing her mother to join. The mom still considers herself a “rookie” sugar baby.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t parents supposed to protect their children from these types of industries. Morals aside, being a sugar baby could be a potentially dangerous job. But these two have a spreadsheet, joint calendars, and even go on “dates” together with the same guy. That’s not disturbing at all.
Teen Mom Meets Dr. Phil
We got our fix of Farrah Abraham on 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom. But the reality star’s Dr. Phil appearance was even crazier somehow. She went on the show to talk about her drunk driving charge and her sex tape. Abraham got her third stint on reality television, but it didn’t seem to have helped her much.
It ended up being a battle of wits, and if you know Dr. Phil, he didn’t back down. Abraham just rolled her eyes and had a bad attitude. She didn’t understand the severity of her actions and couldn’t admit her mistakes.
The Man-Child Named Vegan
My bad, his name isn’t Vegan; it’s “Sexy Vegan.” If you’ve been around Hollywood, you probably saw him around. You can’t miss him! He walks around in a speedo, carrying a full-length mirror. But he doesn’t seem to want to change his strange behavior.
Dr. Phil called him a pathological liar and blamed his mother for letting him get away with everything. If you know Dr. Phil, he can’t stand when people enable bad behavior. Eventually, he got thrown off stage for his antics.
The Woman Who Believed Domestic Abuse Means Love
Honestly, I feel bad for this woman. Most of the guests who appear on the show are straight-up crazy, but this lady is completely over the hill. Romina Garcia explained that when her boyfriend hits her, it means he loves her because he is risking going to jail for her.
I don’t know what is sadder, that he abuses her, or that she actually believes that it means he loves her. Dr. Phil had some deconstructing to do in order to change this woman’s train of thought. The episode sparked such controversy that celebrities like Kylie Jenner were calling her out.
Vacationing at a Mental Institution
No home is perfect. Every family has its share of problems, dysfunction, and stress. However, most of us escape by going to the beach or even just a trip to the grocery store. Well, that’s not exactly how Amber gets away from the madness at her house.
Apparently, Amber’s life is so stressful that she checks herself into mental hospitals for a free vacation. Umm, yeah, that’s normal. That’s how I deal with stress too. Amber explained to Dr. Phil that when things get too hectic at home with her three children, she goes to a mental hospital because “It’s a blessing having some freedom without my kids.”
The Beverly Hills Brat
Nicolette Gray called the Dr. Phil show to basically scream at her mother for cutting down her $5,000 allowance to $1,000. I don’t even know where to start. These kids are so spoiled that they have no sense of reality and definitely don’t know the value of a dollar.
Gray acted like a total brat on the show and even interrupted Dr. Phil to say, “We’re talking about me here. This is my show.” Yikes! Maybe her mother let her get away with that, but Dr. Phil didn’t let it fly. The audience had no sympathy for the spoiled, bratty, rich girl.
Amy and Samy From Kitchen Nightmares
Amy and Samy first appeared on Kitchen Nightmares and faced extreme backlash regarding the way they handled criticism. To give you a sense of how bad it was, Gordon walked away from the restaurant once he understood there was nothing he could do to change the attitude of its owners.
Dr. Phil gave Amy and Samy a chance to come on his show to defend themselves. Unfortunately, they didn’t exactly clear their name and only made the situation worse. Samy basically just yelled at people, and the couple insinuated that every restaurant owner in Israel acts in an aggressive fashion.
Pastor Thom & His Teenaged Pregnant Girlfriend
The age difference between 19-year-old Reba and 61-year-old Thom is the least strange thing about their marriage. Thom is a pastor – who is already married, by the way. His wife Belinda said that she and Thom wanted a polygamous marriage for a while and was thrilled when Reba married into the family.
She also explained that Reba doesn’t intrude on their relationship. Thom keeps it fair and alternates nights between Reva and Belinda. Phil said that their relationship “creeps a lot of people out,” and the fact that Thom knew Reba since she was a child makes this romance even more unsettling.
The Digital Kidnapper
April and Nathan are the proud parents of 4-year-old twins. They went on Dr. Phil to confront a woman named Ashley who stole photos of their daughters from social media and pretended they were her kids. Ashley came up with an elaborate story regarding her “children” and even has framed photos of the girls in her house – with a fabricated story to go with each stolen picture.
We’ve gotten to the point where digital kidnapping is a thing. Can you even imagine? Despite the very clear evidence, Ashley denied the whole thing. There must be some sort of mental health issue at play here, but that doesn’t make the situation any less creepy.
Goal Weight: 70 Pounds
In one tragic episode, a 75-pound woman named Jordan spoke to Dr. Phil about wanting to lose even more weight. Her ultimate goal was around 70 pounds. Interestingly, Jordan admitted that she loved the attention from her clearly distraught parents and liked to see shocked expressions when she passed random people on the street.
This one is more sad than shocking. I mean, the poor girl clearly has self-esteem issues and severe body dysmorphia. Seeing the skeletal Jordan makes me feel terrible for the young girl and her parents.
The Woman Who Thinks She’s Been Pregnant for Three Years
The average pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks. Zona’s alleged pregnancy has been going on for more than 170. 40-year-old Zona came on Dr. Phil claiming to be pregnant for three years and seven months, even though she had her tubes tied at twenty. As an expectant mother, Zona visited multiple doctors; none of them could find a baby.
Zona said the reason for this is because their ultrasounds have too many megahertz… whatever that means. Zona claims to feel movement and heartbeats, but the OB-GYN Dr. Phil hired to look at Zona said she was normal and there was nothing in her uterus. I don’t know what’s going on in there, but it’s certainly not a baby.
The Woman Who Was Being “Poisoned” by Her Husband
When you think you’ve seen it all, a woman named Pat believed her husband Mira was poisoning her to keep her sedated so that he could molest their daughters. I know, if this is true, this is tragic. But as proof, she shows “needle marks” that look like regular skin bumps.
Pat is so paranoid that she sleeps on the floor of her daughters’ bedrooms, barricades the doors, and even wears a softball helmet for protection. Mira claims that his wife has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and has been committed in the past.
The 756-Pound Man
When Robert appeared on Dr. Phil, he could barely string together a full sentence due to his enormous size. Since Robert hasn’t been on a scale in five years, Phil brought an industrial scale and discovered that Robert weighed an unbelievable 756 pounds. Robert’s day-to-day life was just as challenging as you’d expect.
He desperately wanted to be active and didn’t want to feel lonely and trapped anymore. Dr. Phil sent Robert to Wellspring Academy, where he lost 260 pounds! Unfortunately, he gained it back by 2015. Robert is still working on his health and documents his journey on YouTube.
The Girl Who Is Racists Against Her Own Race
This segment is so bizarre and surreal that it could easily be taken as satire. The entire thing just sounds like a joke. The guest on the show, Treasure, believes she is white. Spoiler alert: she’s not. She uses tons of disgusting racist language towards Black people and has the number of the KKK on speed dial. Yeah, I didn’t know that was a thing either.
When she’s out in the street, Treasure acts like a stereotypical white girl while showing her repulsion towards the “gaggle” of African Americans – those are her words, not mine. The craziest part is that she is clearly Black. It’s hard to say if she is mentally troubled or just a racist troll who doesn’t realize she is being racist toward herself.
The Teen Who Killed Her Own Mother
My favorite Dr. Phil episodes are when he interviews a killer on the show. In one special episode, Phil spoke to Rachel Hutson, a teenager who murdered her sick mother. Rachel explains that her mother suffered multiple heart attacks, kidney failure, and she wanted to commit a murder-suicide to relieve her family of all that supposed burden.
After killing her mother, she took a photo and sent it to her dumbfounded father, who repeatedly asked to speak to his wife. Yeah, this is heavier than Dr. Phil’s typical brand, but he does these specials every once in a while. This one truly leaves a dreadful, eerie, lasting impression.
Tyler Perry’s “Wife”
A woman named Karla went on Dr. Phil, claiming to be the wife of Tyler Perry, but, you know, she’s not! Karla said that “Perry” sent her a Facebook message, and they became instant friends. Once Tyler proposed to her (online), he began asking for money. Karla sent him $100,000, leaving her with nothing.
Her daughters rightfully assumed that it was all a scam, but Karla refused to believe it. It’s heartbreaking to see how deep in denial she was. She even believes that she was (somehow) the mother of Perry’s real son.
Peyton’s Racist Daddy
Peyton’s dad is a KKK member who served a nine-year prison sentence for manufacturing bombs to blow up an abortion clinic. He also refuses to acknowledge Peyton’s son as his grandchild because he is half-black. Peyton said her father called her child a “critter,” “monster,” and “ape.”
The way he sees it, his grandson isn’t human because he’s not 100% white. And since he’s not human, he couldn’t possibly be his grandson. Totally logical. Obviously, this is a sickening story and one of the most heartbreaking Dr. Phil episodes to watch.
Little Makenze’s Problems
Most kids are hard to manage, but Makenze is more challenging than your average 9-year-old. Home video footage shows her screaming, pushing furniture, and trying to bite her mother. Her mom said that Makenze also punched her brother in the face, attempted to pull over her cousin’s crib, and threw scissors at a teacher.
She also told the terrifying story of how Makenze stood in traffic, hoping to die. The child is clearly disturbed. Unfortunately, her ongoing treatment and heavy doses of medication don’t help or comfort Makenze. To make matters worse (or more explainable), her father allegedly beats her with a belt.
Aneska’s Tendencies…
Here is another awful story about 12-year-old Aneska. To put it mildly, Aneska’s parents say she is out of control. Apparently, she chases her siblings with knives and sets fire to comforters.
Her parents also claim that she killed the family hamster with a flashlight and once squeezed a baby bird to death after seeing a nest outside. Aneska says that the voices in her head told her to do it. The poor girl just couldn’t control her impulses and was easily one of the most troubled guests to appear on Dr. Phil.
The Pregnant Junkie
In this episode, Niki is being chastised by her family for her heroin addiction. Niki wasn’t your ordinary junkie, though; she was eight months pregnant. According to the narrative on the show, Niki was about to give birth yet lived in a van and worked as a prostitute to buy heroin for herself and her boyfriend.
She admitted that when she was seven months pregnant, she overdosed and that she puts heroin before her baby. Most of Dr. Phil’s cases will shock you, and many will scare you. When it comes to Niki, you just feel shame and anger toward the drug-addicted guest.
Zachary Davis Murdered His Mom
Once in a while, Dr. Phil visits a murderer for a televised interview. In 2012, teenager Zachary Davis killed his mother with a sledgehammer. Two months before his trial, Dr. Phil interviewed him, which ultimately led to Davis’s life sentence.
If you’ve seen the interview, it’s arguably the most shocking interview in Dr. Phil history. Throughout the interview, Davis tells the story of how he murdered his own mother while simply looking at Dr. Phil with his creepy, emotionless eyes. The unsettling case is tragic, and the disturbing interview was enough to freak out viewers.
The Jilly Juice Lady
This was definitely one of the stranger episodes of Dr. Phil. Basically, a woman showed up claiming that she had a special drink that helps women lose weight and cure any illnesses. Maybe someone should tell her she’s on the wrong reality show… this isn’t Shark Tank.
The woman even went as far as to claim that the drink could help you grow back certain ligaments. As it turned out, the women who did drink this juice ended up with severe side effects, and some were even hospitalized. If someone claims a drink can make body parts grow back… don’t trust it.
The Spoiled Brat
Dr. Phil is no stranger to spoiled, entitled teenagers who love to spend their parent’s money, but 17-year-old Tamara takes the cake. After her friends and family contacted Dr. Phil and got Tamara on the show, she admitted that she spends about $7,000 a month, just on her looks.
Tamara explained that a professional team comes to her home to do her hair and make-up every single day. Despite not having a driver’s license, she owns a Range Rover. Dr. Phil slammed her mother for enabling her spending habits and spoiling her daughter rotten. It comes as no surprise that her mom goes on $10,000 shopping sprees herself.
The Nanny With a Double Life
This woman told Dr. Phil how she found out that her nanny, Ashleigh, had a double life. For starters, she lied to them about being pregnant but would also claim that the little boys she was looking after were her own – a huge red flag! When the mother saw the nanny adjusting the pillow under her shirt to make it look like a baby bump, she realized the nanny was a fake.
If that wasn’t weird enough, things got even creepier. After going on social media, the mom found the nanny’s profile where she dressed the little boy as a girl, claiming it was her daughter. Yikes! This family should stick to daycare from now on.
Olivia Wants Back the Baby She Put Up for Adoption
A woman named Olivia appeared on the show claiming her daughter had been illegally adopted. She and her mother both came on the show to discuss why the girl’s adoptive mother, Jillian, is an unfit parent. Olivia said she had a troubled home life when she gave birth at age 16, so she felt pressured to put the baby up for adoption.
Jillian promised to keep Olivia in the child’s life, but that didn’t happen. Jillian said that Olivia has been stalking them, and she doesn’t feel like her child is safe around her biological mother. She was worried about what Olivia may say or do to the child.