Dave and Marla Thomas Alleged Dr. Phil Show Exploited Their Son
In 2017, Dave and Marla Thomas brought 27-year-old son DJ, who was diagnosed with bipolar 1 and schizophrenia, to The Dr. Phil Show in search of help, but found themselves lost in a “nightmare.”
As Dave recalled, “We understand the exploitive nature of that type of show. It’s on TV, its goal is to make money. We were just overwhelmed and feeling hopeless.”
DJ’s parents alleged he was in a “clear” schizophrenic episode the day his episode taped, but the crew and McGraw went ahead with filming anyway.
“It felt like, ‘I want to make sure this boy has an episode on my show,'” Marla shared.
However, Greenberg, a psychologist who served as the show’s director of professional affairs, previously denied allegations of exploitation.
The show seeks to “educate, inform, inspire and entertain our viewers,” Greenberg told the Boston Globe in 2017, adding that “hundreds have e-mailed the show thanking us for helping them face or address an issue that either they, or a family member might be struggling with.”
