This article was originally published on JustStarz
Whether you've watched the hit series or not, you're probably familiar with Dr. Phil's talk show. And while we've lost track of exactly how many guests have cried, fought, and lied on stage over the last 20 years, some are simply unforgettable. So if you're a die-hard fan, we invite you to take a walk down memory lane with these wild stars. And if you've watched only a few - or zero - episodes, then we envy you because there's nothing like meeting these reality tv stars for the first time.
Gordon Ramsey Refused to Work With Them Because of Their Attitude
It takes a special kind of bad attitude and rudeness to make Gordon Ramsey think that you are insufferably rude. Amy and Samy became famous after being the first restaurant on the series Kitchen Nightmares that caused Gordon Ramsey to get up and leave. They were so unpleasant on the show and in reality that it was unbearable to endure. They went on Dr. Phil in a desperate attempt to clear their names.
Their appearance on Dr. Phil did not help their reputation to the world as they were just as rude and aggressive on Dr. Phil as they were in the original episode.
This Teenager Said Her $1,000 Allowance Wasn't Enough
There is no shortage of entitled young adults whose parents give them far too much money and material items for their own good. Beverly Hills is swarming with such children, with Nicolette Gray just being one of the many. However, Nicolette showed her spoiledness to the world on Dr. Phil by complaining that her $1000 allowance should be increased to $2500 and that the car she was given for her birthday was not good enough.
She even started crying on the show about her "pitiful" conditions. The world was in shock by her entitled and spoiled behavior.
The Original Catfish Who Manipulated Him Out of $200,000
You may have thought that the concept of catfishing was something new, that came with the rise of social media. However, there were certainly quite a few cases of catfishing long before it became famous through dating apps. Denis was a victim of catfishing and he even sent over 200,000 dollars to his finance who lived overseas. She said that it was going towards paying for hotels and travel documents.
Apparently, this overseas finance was also a victim here and she had her identity stolen, hence the urgent need for some extra money. It's a never-ending trail of bad behavior.
She Said She Had Cancer but It Wasn't True
Cancer is a really terrible thing...and it's even more terrible to lie to the world that you have it just to get attention and donations. This woman, named Patricia, told everyone that she had stage 3 cancer although she was perfectly (physically healthy). The woman's daughter brought her to the show where Patricia told everyone that she had brain cancer, 17 strokes, brain surgery, pneumonia, and a whole long list of other things.
Just about everything that she said was a lie, with the exception of the brain surgery which, according to medical records did actually occur. The rest of the things on the list were complete falicies.
"Cash Me Outside, How About That"
Danielle Bregoli came to fame as a result of Dr. Phil. Although she was originally on the show due to the fact that she was a problematic teenager who stole credit cards and cars, and was physically violent to her parents, the theme of the show quickly turned to something very different. She became internet famous for her phrase "cash me outside" which she was filmed saying on the show.
They made memes out of this young girl and her famous catchphrase and she was trending online for a very long time. Cash me outside had made her famous...probably not the effect her mother had hoped for while bringing her onto Dr. Phil.
Claimed to Be Pregnant With Jesus
If the Virgin Mary could go around telling people that she was pregnant as a virgin, then what is to make you think that other people will not as well? This young lady appeared on Dr. Phil twice with a very interesting and unique claim. She was sure that she was pregnant..but with the baby Jesus. What was the most interesting part? All of her pregnancy tests came back negative.
Eventually, she gave up on the baby Jesus story and switched to something very different. She claimed that she was related to Eminem and that Dr. Phil himself was also her uncle.
Said He Wrote Songs for Taylor Swift and Other A-List Artists
Who wouldn't want to tell the world that they co-wrote a song with Taylor Swift? After all, she is one of the most famous and beloved songwriters of modern times. This man named Riley claimed that he worked on the song "Shake It Off" with Taylor among many others. Little did he know that Dr. Phil was actually friends with Swift's mother and he made a quick call to fact-check his story...to find out that it was not true at all.
Taylor Swift's mother had never heard of this man and most certainly did not think that he had any part in the writing of her daughter's famous songs.
JonBenet Ramsey's Brother Breaks Silence in the Most Awkward Interview
JonBenet Ramsey was quite famous as a child beauty queen until she was found murdered in her family home. It is one of the most famous unsolved murder mysteries of all time and it has not been solved until this day. Ramsey's brother decided, after almost 20 years, to break the silence of the family story in a very exclusive interview with Dr. Phil. However, he was not quite camera ready and seemed to not know how to act.
His utter and complete awkwardness on camera made people around the world doubt the legitimacy of his statements and the story that he was telling about his family and his sister.
This Online Stalker Said She Was the Victim
It can be hard sometimes to figure out who is the true victim when someone is telling a story. Everyone says whatever they can to make themselves look good in a situation, sometimes even downright lying. This woman came onto Dr. Phil and told her story of how she fell in love with a woman that she "met" online. Although they never met in person, she was apparently in love.
However, the other woman did not want to talk to her at all and even claimed that she was harassing her on the daily. Was it unrequited love or harassment?
His Wife Didn't Know He Used to Be an Adult Movie Star
Some people have some parts of their history that they would rather not share with the entire world. As a matter of fact, some people go to extreme lengths to hide facts from people, even their family, and friends. That is just the case with Chuck who did not want to admit to anyone, let alone his wife, that he used to star in adult films. He thought that he would take this secret with him to the grave.
However, the truth eventually came out. And even more shocking than that, Chuck told his wife that he wanted to go back into the business to get a little extra cash.
Sugar Daddies Get Double With This Mom-Daughter Sugar Baby Duo
Just about everyone is aware of the concept of a "sugar daddy". Although the term is usually used in a joking manner, there are some people who do not see this as a laughing matter. On the contrary, it is their career. This mother and daughter duo are professional sugar babies. They date men just to get money from them and use them as sugar daddies. The daughter brought her mother into the "busniess" after learning how profitable it was.
Even though it is a very unique job choice, as long as both parties are aware of the circumstances and agreement, it's not harming anyone so why not let them make some good money.
The Sassy Teen Mom
Although it is not necessarily the proudest thing to say that you became famous from starring on 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom, Farrah Abraham seemed to have no shame about it. The exact opposite is actually the case, and she appeared on Dr. Phil with a slightly arrogant and rude personality. She not only talked about her time on the shows but how she wanted to star in adult films in the future.
She was even quite rude to Dr. Phil during the interview and on the show, which didn't make her come across as the nicest or best person.
When Celebrity Crushes Become Too Much
Just about everyone has had a celebrity crush at one point in their life. Whether it was a temporary and fleeting thing or something that lasted for years, it usually passed naturally as reality struck. That was not the case for a young woman named Jenna. Jenna fell in love with country singer Kip Moore despite being married and having a family. She even wrote him long and extensive love letters that she posted on social media.
At some point, Kipp autographed his signature on her back and Jenna went and got a permanent tattoo where he had signed his name.
"The Shining" Starlet Shelley Duvall Claimed Robin Williams Is Alive
Shelley Duvall was made famous for starring in the famous movie "The Shining". However, she dropped out of the spotlight shortly after this film, making people wonder about her whereabouts. Years later she appeared on an episode of Dr. Phil in a very confusing and painful to watch episode. She talked about her various theories where she thought that she was a shape shifter and that Robbin Williams was still alive.
It was a bit of a sad episode, to see that she was clearly suffering from a mental illness of some sort that was preventing her from communicating clearly and properly.
The Nanny Who Catfished the World Using Her Employer's Baby
Some people have a bad case of baby fever. They would do anything for a little child, but everyone's definition of "anything" is a bit different. This woman, named Ashleigh, was hired as a nanny for a family with a son. Instead of just being a nanny who takes care of a little boy, she decided to pretend that the boy was her child (actually her daughter). She even created an entire social media account for her and her "daughter" to share with the world.
When the family found out and fired her, she told her friends that her child was killed in a drunk driving accident. What did she gain from this crazy lie?
The 61-Year-Old Pastor and His Pregnant Teenage Girlfriend
A lot of things can go wrong when too much religion comes into the picture...as can be seen in this very interesting relationship between these three people. A 61-year-old pastor named Thom was married to a woman named Belinda. The couple wanted a polygamous marriage and so brought in another woman as a second wife. However, the woman was a 19-year old girl named Reba who was soon to become pregnant.
Forgetting about the polygamous lifestyle (to each their own), the age gap between these two is what really seemed to be bothering people the most from this story.
She Said Her Husband Was Poisoning Her
Marriages come with their fair share of troubles and challenges, but some marriages face more challenges than others. Pat and Mira appeared on Dr. Phil after Pat was convinced that her husband was poisoning her every night. She thought that he was poisoning her in order to sedate her and make her incapable of preventing him from molesting their children. Fortunatley, there was no truth to this woman's fears.
Pat was eventually diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia which was causing her to create horrific situations in her mind that she believed to be true.
Dr. Phil Had to Get an Industrial Scale to Weigh This Guest
Some people struggle their whole life with their weight and some people don't mind gaining the extra few pounds. This man, named Robert, appeared on Dr. Phil in an episode where he weighed himself for the first time in five years. To his surprise, and everyone's in the audience he weighed 756 pounds. He actually managed to lose over 200 pounds shortly after the show but then gained it back a few years later.
Hopefully, for the sake of his health, he was able to lose some of the weight that was preventing him from living the life he wanted to be living.
This Mom Checks Herself Into Hospitals as an Escape From Her Children
Some people don't want to spend even a day away from their children and others are always looking for a little break from them. Amber took things to an extreme by creating a bucket list of things that she could do with her moments of freedom after her children were taken away from Child Protective Services. She so much enjoyed the time without them that she would also occasionally check herself into a mental hospital for some time away.
This is the perfect example of why some people should not have children. Clearly, she was not ready and might never be ready for the responsibility.
That Time a Teen Daughter Brought Her Troubled Mom
It's not very often that you will see a child bringing their parent onto the show for help. However, that is exactly what happened with Miranda and Marianne. When Marianne found out that her husband was cheating on her, her reaction was quite extreme. She figured that men only wanted sex and sex appeal and so she installed a stripper pole in her house and got plastic surgery.
The worst part was that she also insisted that her daughter get plastic surgery and also pressured her to have sexual relations with her boyfriend so that she wouldn't lose him.
“If Your Boyfriend Hits You, Stay With Him”
Sadly, domestic violence is fairly common throughout the world. It can be very difficult to get out of violent situations and some people are never able to do it. Some people, however, do not think that they should try to leave. An 18-year-old woman named Romina Garcia thought that violence was a form of endearment. She told the world that she believed that because her boyfriend hit her, he truly loved her.
Her rationale was that because he was risking jail time by hitting her, it showed his true love for her. It's truly sad that anyone believes that they deserved to be mistreated and mistake it for love.
Former "Survivor" Winner Gets Too Real on Air
Meltdowns happen in life. However, it is not so common to happen on television and recorded for the whole world to see. Survivor winner Todd Herzog was featured on Dr. Phil where he had an unforgettable meltdown in front of everyone. He suffered for many years from drug and alcohol addiction and was not in a stable condition to take an interview, which led to the complete meltdown.
He was so intoxicated that he needed assistance to go on and off the stage. Many people did not think that anyone should have let him appear in that condition.
An Openly Racist Guest
What do you picture when you think of the most racist person you can imagine? It most likely is not the image of an African American woman who is racist against her own people. But sadly if you watched this episode of Dr. Phil you would witness one of the most racist people in existence. She is so extreme that she even has the number for the KKK on speed dial.
She is even a bit delusional and thinks that she is actually white. It's all so crazy that it almost doesn't seem real.
The Honey Boo Boo-Mama June Scandal
In case you have never heard of Honey Boo Boo, she was made famous after starring in the show Toddlers & Tiaras. It was so popular that her entire famous was even offered to star in their own show called Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Sadly, life had something else in mind. Mama June caused a scandal by dating a man that was accused of sexually abusing her and her daughter.
The whole family fell apart as a result of the scandal and things never managed to recover. The entire show ended up being canceled.
What This Adolescent Did to Her Mother Is Unheard of
Although Dr. Phil shows are known for containing some shocking content, the story of Rachel Hutson who killed her own mother might be on the top of the list of shockers. Her mother was sick and so this teenager decided to take things into her own hands and kill her. She was able to commit suicide in the process but resisted in the end and left only her mother murdered.
She then went on to take a "celebratory" photo with her mother after the horrendous act and sent it to her father as proof. She wasn't even trying to hide what she did.
The Story of Young Makenze
Although Dr. Phil had no shortage of guests coming onto the show and talking about their mental illnesses and illnesses in general, it was not often to see someone who was treated for so many different mental illnesses, especially someone so young. Makenze certainly had her fair share of behavioral problems including trying to stab her teacher and trying to commit suicide by sitting in the middle of a busy road, but that does not necessarily justify all the medications she was given.
She was treated for so many different things that it was hard to differentiate between what was her actual choice and what was a medicine's side effect.
She Really Believes She Was Tyler Perry's Wife
No one wants to admit that they have been scammed. It's very embarrassing and sometimes it's a lot easier to just deny the truth and make up your own reality. Although this is not the best choice for your sanity, some people still do it. A woman named Karla was scammed out of $100,000 after a man claiming to be Tyler Perry proposed to her online. She was truly convinced that it was him and that they became husband and wife.
Although it is pretty obvious that it was not actually Tyler Perry (why would he try to get that kind of money from a random woman), she was utterly and completely convinced.
The Juice That Cures All
Who wouldn't want a magic potion that could cure all ailments that a person could have? Jillian Epperly claimed to have just that and it was made from a combination of fermented cabbage water and Himalayan pink salt. She claimed that this drink was so powerful that it could reverse cancer, cure diabetes, cure autism and Down Syndrome, and even reverse homosexuality. The craziest claim of all was that it had the potential to grow back limbs!
Although fermented cabbage water and salt may realistically be a very healthy drink, it is unlikely to be a miracle cure-all that can fix all of your problems.
Biological and Adoptive Moms Each Think They Know Best
Adoption is a very complicated thing and the search for a biological parent can be even more complicated. Some people never make that step just to avoid complications. However, this child and multiple mother combinations decided to get complicated. Evelyn was given up for adoption by her 16-year-old birth mother. She was taken in and raised by a lovely woman named Jillian. Who would have thought though that Olivia, her birth mother, would appear in the picture again.
There was a battle for custody of Evelyn between her adoptive mother and her birth mother. Who had the right to this young woman? It's a question without an easy answer.
She Only Weighed 75 Pounds
Eating disorders are no joke and many people all around the world suffer from them throughout their lives. This woman, names Jordan had a very extreme case of Anorexia. She weighed on 75 pounds and was very proud of herself for reaching such a low weight. She even wanted to lose even more weight! Why did she do it? She enjoyed the shocked looks from strangers and the attention from family members.
Hopefully, she has gotten help for this disorder and managed to put on a few pounds. That is such a low weight that it is questionable how she is alive and functioning.
She Was Pregnant for Three Years
Just in case you were not aware, the typical amount of time that a woman is pregnant is around 9 months or 40 weeks. This woman, named Zona, however, claimed that she had a very different experience. Instead of being pregnant for the normal amount of time, she said that she was pregnant for over three years. She had a few different theories as to why her pregnancy in particular was so prolonged.
The craziest part is that she had had her tubes tied and all the ultrasounds and tests that she took came back negative...she was never technically pregnant at all, especially not for three years.
He Calls Himself the "sexy, Beautiful Vegan Messiah”
Have you ever heard of The Sexy Vegan? Maybe you have seen a sexy vegan, but most people probably were not aware that there is a man that calls himself this or even "the beautiful vegan messiah". He is even known to carry around a full-length mirror everywhere he goes to show off his speedo-clad body and facial tattoos. He has even been arrested over 15 times for various offenses.
It would be interesting to know if he legally changed his name to the Sexy Vegan or if it is just what he likes to be called.
A Child Like No Other
Everyone has heard of the phrase "the little voice in your head". Most people "hear" a little voice that tells them how to act or behave. Aneska, a 12-year-old girl seemed to have a possessed little voice in her head as she claimed that this little voice would tell her to do horrible and violent things. She killed her hamster and a baby bird, she tried to choke her sister to death and would chase people around with knives.
This is a prime example of why you should not always listen to the little voice in your head as sometimes that voice tells you wrong things.
He Emotionlessly Detailed Exactly What He Did
It seems that a few murderers appeared for an interview on the Dr. Phil show. Zachary Davis was a convicted murderer who killed his mother when he was a teenager. He appeared on the show a few months before his trial (which would leave him with a life sentence). Almost worse than the murder itself was the chilling way that Zachary described the sledgehammer murder in detail, not showing a single emotion the entire time.
It was shocking to see someone who had just murdered their own mother and then talk about it in terrifying detail without showing a single emotion or any sign of remorse.
The Spoiled Teen With a Professional Glam Team
Spoiled teenagers come a dime a dozen, but there are some that are more extreme than others. Tamara, a 17-year-old girl who appeared on Dr. Phil was one of the most extreme. She would spend at least $7,000 a month on hair and makeup alone. A professional team of makeup artists and hairdressers would come to ensure everything was perfect throughout the month. She would also often go on $10,000 shopping sprees with her mother.
Besides just being an incredibly shocking amount of money to spend each and every month, it oftentimes makes for a very entitled child, just like Tamara who is not grateful for any of the good things they have.
Mother-In-Law Vs Daughter-In-Law
Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships are often very strained, but some are more strained than others. Katherine and Nicole were the worst examples of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law feuds. Except that in this case, the mother-in-law was actually a bit extreme. She had some crazy theories that she created about her daughter-in-law and thought that she was drugging and brainwashing her son and holding him hostage. She also thought that she murdered her other son who died in a car crash.
The list of accusations against the daughter-in-law continues and includes political corruption and lying about having a law degree.
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Actor Made a Weird Appearance
Dr. Phil is no stranger to hosting celebrities, movie stars, and other famous people on his show. Nicholas Brendon, most known for his appearance in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, talked on Dr. Phil about his years-long battle with depression and addiction. He was arrested multiple times and was actively looking for help from Dr. Phil. However, things took a turn when he was questioned and he became slightly hostile and agressive.
Things took a turn for the worst when he walked off the stage after being asked if he was drunk. Fortunately, things were looking up for Nicholas and a few months later, with the help of Dr. Phil, he was going to rehab and getting the help he needed.
She Pretended They Were Her Children
Who would think that someone would want to live in a total and complete fake reality where she would take the photos of a random woman's children from online and on Facebook, print them out, and make it appear that they were her own children? This woman did exactly that and even went so far as to have the pictures framed and hung up in her house to make everyone think they were actually her children.
Although the woman's intentions seemed fairly innocent, if not strange, it still left a very insecure and scary feeling for the parents of the kids who felt like they had a stalker.
The Addict With a Bun in Her Oven
Addiction is a terrible and scary thing for people all around the world, of all different ages. It has a major and serious effect on your life and can impact everyone around you. This woman, named Niki, had an addiction that truly was affecting everyone around her, including her unborn baby. She had a full drug addiction even while eight months pregnant and made no attempt to control the addiction for the sake of the baby.
She even overdosed on drugs at one point and it was a miracle that the baby managed to survive (and also Niki). You can only hope for the best for her baby's health.
The Intense Gender-Pronoun Debate
Who thought that gender pronouns could turn into such a heated debate topic? Well, just put together a nonbinary couple a conservative show host, and you are set for the debate of a lifetime. This couple, Addison and Ethan, chose to use they/them pronouns which the show host, Matt Walsh was not thrilled about. He thought that different pronouns were "delusional" and ridiculous and most likely refused to call them by their desired pronouns.
The conversation became very heated when Walsh literally told the couple "you don't get your own pronouns" and that people who want to suffer from a mental illlness.