- Dr. Phil caused uproar over COVID comments on The View, criticizing school closures during the pandemic.
- His insistence that schoolchildren are less at risk faced pushback from hosts emphasizing public safety.
- This isn’t the first time Dr. Phil has faced controversy, from Britney Spears to COVID misinformation.
Dr. Phil is known for his controversial opinions and treatment strategies, but he may have officially tanked his career after going on a bizarre rant about the COVID pandemic while appearing on The View.
Dr. Phil McGraw expressed his concerns regarding the impact of shutting down public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic on children.
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“They stopped living their lives, and started watching people live their lives,” he said in criticism of government protocols in response to the pandemic. “And so we saw the biggest spike and the highest levels of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and suicidality since records have ever been kept. And, it’s just continued on and on and on.”
Dr. Phil continued, “And then COVID hits 10 years later, and the same agencies that knew that, are the agencies that shut down the schools for two years. Who does that?”
Responding to McGraw’s comments, Sunny Hostin emphasized the ongoing pandemic context, asserting that the decisions made were rooted in trying to save people’s lives.
Whoopi Goldberg, serving as the panel moderator, then cautioned the former psychologist by highlighting the unfortunate reality of individuals they knew who had succumbed during this period, to which McGraw countered, “Not school children.”
In response, the Sister Act star reflected, “Well, you know what, we’re lucky. Maybe we’re lucky they didn’t, because we kept them out of the places they could be sick, because no one wanted to believe we had an issue!”
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“I’m saying it was the safest group. They were the less vulnerable group,” he explained. “And they suffered, and will suffer, more from the mismanagement of COVID than they will from the exposure to COVID. And that’s not an opinion, that’s a fact.”
Dr. Phil Has Made Controversial Comments About COVID Before
While Dr. Phil’s comment stirred a lot of controversy online as well as from The View’s hosts, the television personality hasn’t responded any further to explain his assertions.
Dr. Phil has encountered several controversies throughout his career, though this may be the one to end it. One notable controversy emerged in 2008 when he faced criticism for his involvement in the Britney Spears intervention.
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More recently, controversy arose in 2019 when a former guest accused the show of providing alcohol to addicts backstage, potentially exacerbating their struggles with addiction. This incident raised questions about the ethics and practices of daytime television programs that deal with mental health and addiction issues.
Furthermore, in 2020, Dr. Phil faced backlash for comments made regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Critics accused him of downplaying the severity of the virus and spreading misinformation about the risks associated with it. His remarks prompted widespread condemnation from health experts and the public, highlighting the importance of responsible messaging during times of crisis.