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VOICE OVER: Rebecca Brayton WRITTEN BY: Nathan Sharp
#10: Todd Herzog
Herzog was famous long before he appeared on “Dr. Phil” in 2013. Six years earlier, he won “Survivor: China,” the fifteenth season of the incredibly popular reality show. Unfortunately, Herzog spiraled into alcoholism following his win, and fellow “Survivor” contestants Courtney Yates and Sandra Diaz-Twine expressed their concern. While Herzog appeared incredibly drunk on “Dr. Phil,” he claims that he was given alcohol backstage by the show’s producers. The producers have denied this claim. Herzog was sent to rehab by Dr. Phil but tragically suffered from two relapses throughout the years. Luckily, he has since recovered. He revealed on “Rob Has a Podcast” in November 2017 that he was sober, and he is currently engaged to his boyfriend Jesse.
#9: John
This man appeared on “Dr. Phil” with a serious gambling addiction. It was so bad that his three children lived with their mother while John lived in squalor in his mother’s basem*nt. He reportedly received money from his parents, only to throw it away gambling. He even sold a car on the pretense of needing it for his family, only, again, to throw it away gambling. All told, it is estimated that John had lost upwards of $60,000. Luckily, John seemed genuinely remorseful for his actions and happily received the help that Phil had to offer. He received professional guidance, stopped gambling, and successfully turned his life around.
#8: Robert Gibbs
Gibbs is by far one of the most well-known guests in “Dr. Phil” history. When he first appeared on the show, Gibbs weighed over 750 pounds, had trouble walking, and needed professional help to stand from a sitting position. Dr. Phil sent him straight to a weight-loss facility called Wellspring Academy, and Gibbs received the professional help that he needed. When he re-appeared on “Dr. Phil,” Gibbs had successfully lost over 250 pounds and easily walked to the stage. Gibbs is still providing updates on his YouTube channel ragingrobert, and as of May 2019, Gibbs had officially weighed in at just under 500 pounds.
#7: Lisa
This is actually quite a tragic story. Lisa had developed an addiction to pills, and when those proved too difficult to acquire, she turned to alcohol, drinking two-fifths of 100 proof vodka every single day. When she decided to quit, she suffered massive withdrawals that saw her puking blood and crawling on the floor. She also claimed to be a “great drunk driver,” despite receiving three DUIs. It was enough to get doctors involved, and she later re-appeared on “Dr. Phil” looking much happier and healthier after completing ninety days of treatment. Even Phil was visibly beaming with pride. In May 2019 she was seen living at a home for recovering addicts and continuing her treatment.
#6: Bethany
In May 2017, a heroin addict named Bethany appeared on “Dr. Phil.” Bethany had been placed in a medically-induced coma for ten days and received open-heart surgery after it was found that her heart valves had been destroyed by heavy heroin use. The doctors even claimed that she would die if she continued to use after surgery. Despite the dire warning, Bethany claimed that heroin was her “number one priority in life” and continued to snort it five times a day. Luckily, she eventually got the help she needed and returned to “Dr. Phil” nine months sober. She looked far healthier and cleaner and held herself accountable for her past actions.
#5: Taylor & Tricia
It’s often best to distance yourself from enablers. Such is what happened to identical twins Taylor and Tricia. These twin sisters suffered from a severe case of anorexia and bulimia. It got so bad that they eventually “competed” with each other, with each sister not wanting to be “the fat one.” They entered into cycles of binging and purging, resulting in them dropping from 130 pounds to 80 in just one year. Despite weighing just 80 pounds, Tricia described her weight as “about right.” The two entered into a treatment plan which involved being separated from each other, and they returned to the show in September 2019 having gained over forty pounds each, putting them in the much healthier 120-pound range.
#4: Gabrielle
This is another very popular and well-known “Dr. Phil” guest. Gabrielle appeared on the show when she was just fourteen years old. At the time, she was abusing drugs and having casual sex, and she had recently dropped out of school. She was enabled and encouraged by her mother, and her worried father was powerless to do anything. After visiting “Dr. Phil,” it was recommended that Gabrielle be removed from her mother’s house and placed in a facility called Turn-About Ranch. Gabrielle received help and returned to “Dr. Phil” two years later, admitting that she was high during the taping. She claimed to “not even recognize” herself and stated that she had returned to school and was receiving straight A’s.
#3: Niki
When it comes to tragic “Dr. Phil” guests, it doesn’t get much more tragic than Niki. Niki was a very intelligent and high-achieving woman, but she tried heroin and instantly developed a debilitating addiction. When she appeared on “Dr. Phil,” Niki was eight months pregnant, taking heroin every couple of hours, estranged from her family, living in a van with her fiancé, and supporting her drug habit with prostitution. Niki was sent to rehab by Dr. Phil, and her life changed for the better. She later returned to the show thirteen months sober, working at a treatment center, and managing a halfway house for women. By December 2019, Niki was three years sober and living with both her new husband and her daughter, Adley.
#2: Meagan
Back in 2010, a 26-year-old woman named Meagan appeared on “Dr. Phil.” Meagan had been binging and purging while supplementing her eating disorder with laxatives. When she appeared on the show, Meagan weighed just 73 pounds and was in the early stages of hair loss and both liver and kidney failure. In the introductory video, it was claimed that Meagan lived on little more than condiments. Dr. Phil sent her to a treatment program in Utah called Center for Change, and five years after completing treatment, Meagan claimed to not have an active eating disorder and was working as a graphic designer in D.C.
#1: Cindy & Rick
Dr. Phil was approached by four women who claimed to be estranged from their mother, Cindy. Phil recruited the help of a professional locator, who found Cindy and her husband Rick living in the flood tunnels below Las Vegas. In the past, Cindy had blamed herself for her father’s and brother’s deaths and began to self-medicate with drugs. Her daughters were taken away and placed into foster care, and Cindy made her way to the tunnels. She was eventually treated for addiction, anxiety, and depression. Years later, both Cindy and Rick spoke to Dr. Phil, claiming to be living in a house and enjoying a healthy relationship with Cindy’s daughters. Cindy was also working at Origins Recovery Center, the same facility where she received help.
