Top 10 Shocking Dr. Phil Guest Walk-Offs
Well, so much for getting help. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top ten Dr. Phil guest walk-offs.
For this list, we’ll be looking at times that guests purposefully walked off the “Dr. Phil” stage in anger, frustration, shame, or distress. We’ll only be including guests that walked off on their own accord, so people who have been kicked off and/or escorted out by security will not be included.
#10: Kim Richards
Back in 2015, “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’” Kim Richards appeared in a “Dr. Phil” exclusive to discuss her battle with alcoholism and a recent arrest for assaulting a police officer. They begin to discuss a possible treatment, but Kim proves more stubborn than anticipated. She says that she wants to be in rehab no longer than thirty days, despite her daughter’s insistence that she do sixty, and that she wants to remain close to home. When Phil continues to push the matter of her treatment, Kim grows anxious and promptly leaves, leaving Phil and her children to sit in an awkward silence. Sadly, Kim was arrested again the following August for shoplifting at Target.
#9: Raging Mom
Mothers can be difficult, but is your mother bad enough to bring on “Dr. Phil?” 17-year-old Summer certainly thinks so, as she brings her “raging lunatic” of a mother (her words) onto the show. According to Summer, her mother Susan screams at her children, stabs paintings and mattresses, and even physically abuses her husband, Peter. Summer and her sister Amber have even turned to drugs to escape their hostile domestic life. When Phil confronts Susan about her anger, Susan tells him that she “doesn’t need this” and promptly leaves the stage, leaving an unperturbed Phil to continue the discussion with Peter and Summer. Considering her treatment of her family, it sounds like she let Phil off easy.
#8: Sandra’s Custody Battle
A woman named Linda called Dr. Phil to help her with her neighbors Sandra and Joey, who are in the midst of a bitter custody battle. Linda is concerned that their children have been caught in the middle. While Sandra is on stage defending herself, Phil states that he’s going to bring out Linda. This causes Sandra to panic, and she states that she will leave the stage if Linda is brought out. She and Phil get into quite a heated argument before Sandra gets up and walks out, just as she said she would. And with that, Sandra waived her right to tell her side of the story. It can be tough getting along with your neighbors… but this is really next level.
#7: “I’ll Get Up and Leave Right Now”
In this episode, Anthony brings his brother Jamie onto the show to discuss his dangerous abuse of steroids, alcohol, and cocaine. However, Jamie isn’t really having any of it. After being confronted by Dr. Phil about his persistent lying, Jaime states that he’ll “get up and leave right now.” And wouldn’t you know it, that’s exactly what he does! Regardless of his absence, Phil continues discussing Jamie’s problem with his family, even going so far as to sit in Jamie’s now vacated chair. Turns out, Phil has little patience with stubborn people who lie directly to his face.
#6: GPS Tracking
Guest Sarah is accused of being a negligent mother. The courts had previously found her unfit to raise her two-year-old daughter, and now Sarah’s family is doing everything they can to protect the young child from her mother’s negative influence . . . including planting a GPS on Sarah’s car to observe her day-to-day activities! Surprise surprise, things get a little dicey once this juicy piece of information is brought into the conversation. Sarah’s family gets into an enormous fight with her before she suddenly stands up and walks off stage while fake-laughing and calling the process “a joke.” To be fair, that’s not the sort of revelation anybody wants to hear on national television, regardless of the context.
#5: Rejecting Therapy
15-year-old Madison is a prickly guest. She originally appeared on the show as a result of her reckless behavior, which included stealing her mother’s car upwards of thirty times and crashing said car during a high-speed chase involving drugs and a weapon. She had also been charged on four separate occasions for assaulting her own father. In the original episode, Madison walked off stage after learning that her grandmother would be appearing on the show. Madison then re-appeared to discuss the corrupting influence she has on her younger sister, and Phil recommended a residential therapy program for the troublesome teen. However, this only caused Madison to burst into tears before leaving the stage yet again in pain and frustration.
#4: Confronted About Drug Abuse
Kami’s family desperately wants to help her. While they say she was once a perfectly normal and healthy suburban mother, she is now a homeless drug addict who has been arrested on twelve separate occasions. While her family shows sympathy, they also threaten to cut her off if she doesn’t get the help she so clearly needs. Unfortunately, Kami begins to cry during an expository video and quickly storms off stage, despite an attempt to physically restrain her. She then sobs backstage while dodging what looks to be a producer before leaving the building entirely. It’s heartbreaking to witness, and it harshly showcases the powerful and detrimental influence of drugs. This video is arguably more effective than most anti-drug PSAs.
#3: Amie’s Fake Pregnancies
Pregnancy is typically not something to joke about, and it’s REALLY not something to fake. But that hasn’t stopped Amie. Amie’s friend Courtney claims that Amie has faked three separate pregnancies and has even gone so far as to send pictures of so-called stillborn twins to one of the alleged fathers. While watching a video of Courtney accusing her of taking illegal donations, Amie storms off the stage in what is perhaps the most authoritative and threatening speed walk we’ve ever seen. And while Phil cracks jokes, Amie has a total meltdown backstage by swearing at producers, throwing various items, and even pushing the cameraman. So... needless to say, she wasn’t very happy with the accusations.
#2: Time Out
This is yet another story of faked pregnancies and wicked deceptions. The guest is Brittany, who has been accused of harassing men and faking both pregnancies and infant deaths. Once Phil mentions that he has an email from one of Brittany’s friends, Brittany grows visibly distressed and quickly calls for a “time out,” clearly afraid of what the critical email will contain. Phil rejects her time out and accuses her of withholding pertinent information, causing her to walk off stage. Phil can only sigh in disappointment as he watches her leave. And things seemed to be going so well, too!
#1: Nicholas Brendon
Nicholas Brendon is a beloved actor, known primarily for his role as Xander in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” However, he has tragically struggled with addiction to alcohol and sleeping pills in recent years, and this has led to numerous arrests. In August of 2015, just a few months after he was arrested for trashing a hotel room, Nicholas appeared on “Dr. Phil” to discuss his issues. However, the interview quickly turned sour, and Nicholas grew frustrated with Phil’s line of questioning. The last straw came when Phil accused him of being drunk and Nicholas then walked off stage. It’s a horribly sad moment, but luckily, Nicholas returned to the show a few months later and accepted Phil’s help by entering the offered rehabilitation program.