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Dr. Phil Pulls Plug on Britney Show

Posted Jan 7th 2008 1:00PM by TMZ Staff

Bending to public pressure over his Britney Spears intervention show, Dr. Phil has canceled the program scheduled for tomorrow.
Britney Spears and
In a statement on his site, the good doc says, "As was widely reported this weekend, at the request of concerned family members, I visited Britney Spears in the hospital. The details of that visit will, of course, remain private. We had planned to tape a Dr. Phil Now show today, focusing not on the tabloid side of Britney's latest problems, but instead on the very serious issues surrounding this case."

The statement goes on, "Clearly, it is not just Britney's family struggling to find a way to protect adult children who cannot be ordered or compelled to seek help. Because the Spears situation is too intense at this time, and out of consideration to the family, I have made the decision not to move forward with the taping at this particular time. Britney and her family are in our prayers, and we ask that they be in yours."

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(Page 7 of 21) Previous 15 Comments | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

91. #13 souxie, it don't matter whom you vote for, they cannot and will not make any changes to any thing at all, untill the skull and bones oxfordites are dead

Posted at 2:05PM on Jan 7th 2008 by rondog

92. If he had just KEPT HIS MOUTH SHUT - that seems to be what has everyone so outraged. He could/should have tired to help this family in PRIVATE.

Posted at 2:25PM on Jan 7th 2008 by RY

93. Who the hell said hes a doctor. HES A QUACK.

Posted at 2:21PM on Jan 7th 2008 by raysue2468

94. Hopefully her papp boyfriend can help her.

If he has a humane bone in his body maybe he can convince her to get help, her judgement is off and she seems lost.

He obviously is with her because she is extremely vunerable and he is using her.

The papps are so far up her ass, it's gross.
I really hope he can help her, get help.

Posted at 2:07PM on Jan 7th 2008 by carmella

95. I am quite sure Britney's family has talked with an attorney regarding committing her. They would have already done it if they could legally do it. I don't think they can YET. Maybe in the future if she does something that endangers herself or the children. It takes a LOT to be able to commit someone to a mental facility.

Posted at 2:11PM on Jan 7th 2008 by Marilyn

96. I dont trust Dr. Phil I even wonder if he really is a physician. Anyway if this was going to benefit anyone it was him for his ratings. Don't really believe he had the best intention.

Britney if she does need help probably the best thing would be to move out of Hollywood and be at a place that is nice and quiet and see a psychiatrist.

Posted at 2:09PM on Jan 7th 2008 by Sylvia

97. I watched the Dr.Phil show for a while and I like him, but I have to agree with the posters that said his show has become trashy. I hate his new "Dr.Phil now" segment, where they comment on things in the news like Jena 6 and Britney... stuff that's going on "now". It's total garbage! I HATE it! I hope Phil gets his act together; he's quickly becoming the next Jerry Springer.

Posted at 2:11PM on Jan 7th 2008 by Mina M

98. jerry springer was a mayor in illinois

Posted at 2:15PM on Jan 7th 2008 by rondog

99. Why did Britney's family send Dr. Phil to see her? Because they want Dr. Phil to give an official diagnosis of her mental illness.

Why do they want to do this? So they can have her involuntarily committed and treated since she won't get help on her own.

If Dr. Phil is licensed in California, his diagnosis might be what her family needs to have her institutionalized and that could be what Sam Lutfi was cryptically referring to when he said that more would be happening in the next few days and people would know more about what's going on. There's not much else that he could be predicting other than Britney being locked up in a psych ward somewhere.

Posted at 2:18PM on Jan 7th 2008 by Melissa

100. 36. I think this is a good call on their part. This potato is seeming too hot to handle right now. People get very testy when talking about the possibility of mental illness. Seems a lot of bloggers are VERY SUDDENLY all concerned about her privacy (after publicly blogging about all of her antics for a year) because of the nature of her troubles. I think that any help would be better than no help at all, but whatever. This will play out with or without anyone's opinion.

Posted at 1:18PM on Jan 7th 2008 by Grab some sense here


RE GRAB SOME SENSE -- you're mixing your issues here
- absolutely agree that the way BRIT has been carrying on is a real problem and that it is to hot for her familyto handle on their own
- we WANT BRIT to get help --that means PRIVATE, SKILLFUL HELP TO WHICH SHE EITHER CONSENTS OR TO WHICH THE LAW (not her media crazy mom, or TV personality PHIL) REQUIRE HER TO SUBMIT
- you say "any help would be better than no help at all"???. How does having your mental illness taken to yet more TV airwaves HELP??? Does it help to throw gasoline on a fire???

Posted at 2:23PM on Jan 7th 2008 by blablabla

101. It's all about the ratings, folks! Phil McGraw could care less about Britney Spears or anyone else for that matter. He's so full of baloney and this was just a CYA manuever so he wouldn't LOSE RATINGS! BOYCOTT DR. PHIL - a quack in sheep's clothing if ever there was. A disingenuous, mouthy, controlling, celebrity using creep! That about covers it!

Posted at 2:16PM on Jan 7th 2008 by Miss Mary

102. Dr. Phil's a good guy, his show is helpful.to his millions of loyal viewers and he's made a handsome living doing what he does best, helping people.. He may have screwed-up on this issue, so what?! Glad he decided not to take this story to the street for whatever reasons. Thing about Britney is - doesn't matter if it's Dr. Phil, Dr. Spock, or Dr. Doolittle - if the girl doesn't WANT anyone's help, she does not want anyone's help. Period, the end.

Hopefully, the judiciary and law enforcement will seriously intervene - eventually.

Posted at 2:25PM on Jan 7th 2008 by Beth

103.
The manic highs are one thing to deal with and easier to deal with, but once she hits the lows and the depression set in I really hope she is in a hospital where she can get professional care and help.

Depressionn with bi-polar patients can be so severe she will have to get help immediately.

This papp has no idea what rollar coaster ride he is on, he really or someone really has to get her in a hospital before the next phase of bi-polar sets in, which is major depression.

Hey papp I think someones life in your hands is worth more than your stupid money shots with your co-workers.

She is not thinking for herself or rationally at all, it's almost as if she was tripping out. She has no idea what she is doing. I really wish someone can help her, because she is going to have a struggle helping herself.



Posted at 2:16PM on Jan 7th 2008 by carmella

104. Um...I was just checking out those videos on http://celebtv.com. Britney doesn't appear distraught or suicidal at all. She lifts up her shirt and rubs her belly, as if to say, hey look at my skinny belly (I'm a girl, I know what we do). I will now take back my prior statements assuming that Britney was in a bipolar psychosis. They don't pass that fast, even with the most awesome medications. She most likely is bipolar, considering her actions during the past year or so, but she is not behaving in a way that I can any longer justify feeling pity for her. I think she really doesn't want her kids. She sure is doing everything possible to lose them forever. Poor babies :o(

Posted at 2:18PM on Jan 7th 2008 by Confused

105. A media vulture prying on the vulnerable to enhance his marketability. And his wife - naturally - is an active enabler in the pursuit to generate media coverage and revenue for them. I refer to the video where Mrs. Vulture was asked by the media if Britney was there, meaning her house. She could have answered a simple yes or no. However, in line with her and her husband's greed for notoriety and money, she gave a provocative reply, which was an open invitation to the media to pursue them. He is a disgrace to the profession.

Posted at 2:30PM on Jan 7th 2008 by Mena

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