Phillip C. McGraw, also known as Dr. Phil, took the stand this week in a half-billion-dollar dispute with Christian TV powerhouse Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). In a federal courtroom in Texas, the 75-year-old talk-show host described the “toxic” turn his partnership with TBN has taken since the parties inked a $500 million production deal in 2023.
Dr. Phil, who has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, rejected TBN’s claims that he’s trying to “fleece” the network by filing for bankruptcy. Instead, he blamed TBN for not “[staying] the course” long enough for their partnership to succeed.
Dr. Phil and TBN’s Contract Dispute Escalates
Dr. Phil McGraw, who launched to fame thanks to Oprah Winfrey, parted ways with CBS after more than two decades amid censorship concerns. In 2023, his Peteski Productions company struck a deal with TBN to create Merit Street Media (MSM) together. As part of the arrangement, Dr. Phil agreed to produce 160 episodes of a 90-minute show on TBN, in exchange for $50 million per year for 10 years.
RELATED: Trinity Broadcasting Network Accuses Dr. Phil of Scheme To ‘Fleece’ the Network
TBN contends that by June 2024, Dr. Phil hadn’t produced any episodes and it was clear he’d be unable to deliver the viewership and advertising revenues he’d promised. The network also alleged that MSM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection without its knowledge, soon after Dr. Phil formed another production company, Envoy.
Dr. Phil, in turn, said TBN “didn’t stay the course long enough.” He testified, “This was a four- to five-year journey, and if [TBN] had just stayed in long enough, I think this would have been the best investment they had ever made.”
In July, MSM sued TBN for breach of contract, saying the network “abused its position as the controlling shareholder.” The following month, TBN countersued in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Northern District of Texas, accusing McGraw and his Peteski Productions of breach of contract and fraudulent inducement. TBN, a not-for-profit corporation, said it is defending itself against the TV personality’s “bad-faith attacks.”
One mainstream media outlet called the contentious dispute between Dr. Phil and TBN a “very un-Christian grudge match.”
In a federal courtroom in Texas, Dr. Phil McGraw described the “toxic” turn his partnership with TBN has taken since the parties inked a $500 million production deal in 2023.Click to Post
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