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Dr. Phil to "ET" -- The Family Speared Me

Posted Jan 7th 2008 7:28AM by TMZ Staff

Dr. Phil responded to the TMZ stories reporting that psychiatric professionals questioned Cedars permitting the TV doc into Britney Spears' hospital room without her prior knowledge or consent.
Dr. Phil: Click to watch
Here's what he said about his visit on Saturday morning on today's "Early Show": "I want to set the record straight. I went to see Britney at the request of her family. I talked to Lynne, Jamie, and Brian, because they were frustrated that she wasn't going to be held for a longer time."

Asked how he had come to be involved in the saga, Dr. Phil said, "Thursday night, the phone rang, it was Lynne, clearly she was very upset. Any parent would be. I was first contacted by her family a year ago, and had maintained a running dialogue for the last year or so."

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(Page 7 of 16) Previous 15 Comments | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

91. Wouldn't a real doctor confere privately with patient to help them on first visit? Wouldn't they run tests and evaluate personally how to help and aid the patient on those test results..? How many doctors require an arena of people responding to patients complaints and problems to conduct their business, especially in cases involving fragile, dangerous mental disorders, not knowing themselves how the interview and response would affect the patient?

Posted at 9:16AM on Jan 7th 2008 by ObEYEI

92. who the hell called him 4 this anyway !? the balls of him ! there r hundreds of good n real dr.'s in hollywood anyway !!

Posted at 9:18AM on Jan 7th 2008 by whatever

93. You people are shameful. Her family is trying to finally get her help. They only wanted her to stay longer at the hospital. Her bags were already packed and she had been hysterical the whole time she was there. Yes, Dr.Phil has been talking to the family for over a year. He would not put her on his show unless she wanted to be. He has stated he would help her in private. Who are you to judge. Go make a care package for a soldier. Good luck sleeping at night.

Posted at 9:18AM on Jan 7th 2008 by Compassion

94. Is there anyone in Britney's life that doesn't have something to gain, that can just be a friend to her? It seems there are two camps, those who are jealous of her success and love seeing her fall and those who have something to gain from her. It seems the girl needs someone who wants neither and can tell her straight up what is going on - instead of filling her with more doubt or supportive BS.

Posted at 9:20AM on Jan 7th 2008 by Spirit Guide

95. Thanks Dr. Phil. Now how much is the agreement between the three of them? 20/40/40? This will be so helpful to Britney. What a great idea these folks came up with. Let's go on TV and talk about her while she is feeling really bad right now. that will be the wake up call she needs to finally end her misery.

Anyone who believes Britney is enjoying this is just unbelievably incompassionate. She is being discredited for befriending a pap. Well, what should she do now? She only wants people who are indifferent to her status. That is the most important reason why she needs her children. The only source of unconditional love she has ever known. I hope she can pull thru the following days without contact.

Posted at 9:19AM on Jan 7th 2008 by Dr. Viv

96. RATINGS = $$$$$. HELP HER WITHOUT THE CAMERAS ON, SOMEONE.

Posted at 9:19AM on Jan 7th 2008 by whatever you say

97. I am a low profile private practice non fame seeking clinical psychologist (Ph.D.) specializing in treating celebrities. I do not not do press interviews or talk shows. I am happy to treat Britney. I am very comfortable with and would insist upon comprehensive confidentiality agreements.. I would be completely willing to work with Britney probono (free). This girl needs someone who is willing to help her who she can trust. 917-573-6808. I am assuming that someone in her team such as Sam reads these blogs to help navigate the legal issues arising from the publicity and can pass this information along.

Posted at 9:33AM on Jan 7th 2008 by DrHahn

98. He's the real father of her children. Ask anyone.

Posted at 9:24AM on Jan 7th 2008 by terri

99. It doesn't make any difference that the parents phoned him first. Look, if I were having a breakdown in a hospital and part of the problem in my life was too much public attention, I'd like to think that my parents would contact a doctor who doesn't have a TV show, running around talking to the media to boost ratings for his planned Britney Spears special.

This guy is a creep. He easily could have gotten involved PRIVATELY and refused to comment to the press or do a show on her. In fact, now that I know he's been discussing Britney's mental health with the family for over a year, his opting to do a Britney show at all now strikes me as COMPLETELY unethical.

Not to mention, their opting to be on that show (to no doubt attempt to clear their names regarding their abilities to parent -- especially with mommy Spears trying to ) gives me a far better understanding as to why their daughter wound up so fricked in the first place.

Posted at 9:21AM on Jan 7th 2008 by Margarita

100. It DOES NOT MATTER what the Spears family requested - if Britney were under 18, yes by all means, they could request & even authorize, a visit to her in the hospital. But not for a patient over 18. Even an "intervention" at home in a setting like we see on that one TV show, would have been legal and at worst, exploitative but a person always has the right to walk away from their family's intervening efforts. But a patient in a hospital room, even with discharge orders in hand, is somewhat "captive" and as such Dr Phil, who certainly knew all this, was "giving the appearance" of a medically authorized visit. Totally inappropriate and legally and medically inexcusable. You know, this guy may really think he can help Britney, he may really feel sensitive to the family's concerns, he may not be 100% driven by ratings - none of us know what's in his heart but at the end of the day, he knows better by virtue of his medical license and he knows what the laws say in CA, and in TX, and he knows that what he did by going to Cedars and into Britney's room, was wrong in every respect. He became nothing more than a paparazzi with an medical degree once he waltzed into that room and to talk about her AT ALL even in general terms after this visit, violated every aspect of patient's rights to confidentiality. Very sad. He has lost my respect...which he once had.

Posted at 9:23AM on Jan 7th 2008 by JCinAZ

101.

The posts about Phil are the most boringest ones I have ever seen on TZM


More redundency than all posts.


People Read Before Typing SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESH















Herv get a life
























































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Posted at 9:25AM on Jan 7th 2008 by Harvey

102. Dr. Phil had no right to go up into Britney's room there at Cedars of Sinai--whether she was checked out and ready to go or not.
Britney's dad, Jamie and her mother Lynne are such gold digging phonies and despicable parents in wanting to have a group therapy session of any kind on national television when Britney is already on the brink of a psychotic breakdown. What kind of parents are these? What kind of a psychologist is Dr. Phil to even follow the parents request to meet her in her room with no warning or consent?

Posted at 9:27AM on Jan 7th 2008 by nonnie

103. Well, his "year long running dialogue" hasn't done an ounce of good, now has it? She keeps getting worse. And he still didn't have a right without patient consent, nor did the hospital have the right to let him in. She was the patient. She needs help, lots of it, but Dr. Phil is just trying to help his own ratings here. And what Dr. announces to the press after seeing someone how much they are in "dire need of help". He's totally unethical. He should be ashamed.

Posted at 9:24AM on Jan 7th 2008 by Janet

104. It doesn't make any difference that the parents phoned him first. Look, if I were having a breakdown in a hospital and part of the problem in my life was too much public attention, I'd like to think that my parents would contact a doctor who doesn't have a TV show, running around talking to the media to boost ratings for his planned Britney Spears special.

This guy is a creep. He easily could have gotten involved PRIVATELY and refused to comment to the press or do a show on her. In fact, now that I know he's been discussing Britney's mental health with the family for over a year, his opting to do a Britney show at all now strikes me as COMPLETELY unethical.

Not to mention, their opting to be on that show (to no doubt set the record straight regarding their abilities to parent -- especially with mommy Spears trying to write, publish and sell a book about her experiences as a parent) gives me a far better understanding as to why their daughter wound up so fricked in the first place.

Posted at 9:24AM on Jan 7th 2008 by Margarita

105. This Phony Phil needs help, it seems he is starting to live the line of garbage he talks, he has dollars in his eyes and has no educational or medical backing for his intervention stuff, he is a PHONY!
PAINT SPLAPPER

Posted at 9:30AM on Jan 7th 2008 by paint splapper

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