Celebrity Justice
TMZ to Dr. Phil: Show Me The Money!

We have exclusivity -- WTF does that mean?!? Check out video of Dr. Phil's so-called "producer," shot by FOX in Tampa, as one of the teens charged with allegedly videotaping a brutal beating was released from jail.


While this guy claims "exclusivity," TMZ has learned that collateral for this chick's five figure bail was backed -- in full -- by something equal to that amount. We're told this is usually done in cash, a mortgage on a house, land or cars. So who put up that scratch? This dude?? We doubt it.

Dr. Phil's statement suggests some sort of rogue producer went down to Florida and went "beyond their guidelines." We're not buying it.

Here's how it works ...

We're told the bail was $33,000. In order to bail the teen out, the bondsman or woman would get 10% in cash, and the rest must be guaranteed by collateral. That's a lot of dough! So who approved the money? We're told some higher up -- Terry Wood (the big boss at CBS/Paramount TV) or even Dr. Phil himself -- would have to OK that kind of cash ... not some freelancer who "went beyond the guidelines."

Here's the rub: there's a gag order on all involved in the case -- including the Polk County Sheriff's Office. So all that cash spent -- and Dr. Phil can't get squat out of anybody involved. Oops.

A rep for the show told us "Please reread the statement we gave you. Nothing you are imagining it says or implies is true."

Tags: dr phil, DrPhil

Reader Comments

(Page 3 of 11) Previous 15 Comments | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

31. Baseball Junkie - off topic..... how 'bout that game today? Woo Hoo!!!

Posted at 1:10AM on Apr 13th 2008 by sox fanatic

32. off topic but jaime spears is legally responsible for any damage Britney Spears inflicted in her car wreck at 11pm saturday. Had she not been on a conservatorship, it would be Britney's responsibility alone. maybe now Jaime will drop the conservatorship since it will cost him.
why haven't you reported this TMZ?

Posted at 1:12AM on Apr 13th 2008 by jh

33. you think doctor phil would have more sense than this! SHAME ON HIM!

Posted at 1:13AM on Apr 13th 2008 by AMY

34. maybe oprah is behind this

Posted at 1:22AM on Apr 13th 2008 by maya

35. This is a low point for the Dr. Phil show. I am over Dr.Phil this is ridiculous. Helping out a monster?
I will never watch his show again.

Posted at 8:32PM on Apr 13th 2008 by Justin

36. It was a great game. And have you noticed how much smaller Giambi and Damon are in the upper bodies this year.

Is it my imagination or are we having more off-topic comments than on? Suggests TMZ might want to get with the program. Clearly not enough Playmate or Britney stories lately.

I remember there was a lot of nasty stuff coming out about Dr. Phil after that whole Britney debacle. I think he's just imploding.

Go Sox

Posted at 1:29AM on Apr 13th 2008 by Baseball Junkie

37. You people are all pathetic. Read a history book and see what happened to the romans,

Posted at 1:31AM on Apr 13th 2008 by toaster

38. I can't believe that 8% of the people here think that Phil's telling the truth about not knowing what was going on. How can he not know who's spending that kind of money on his own show?

Posted at 1:35AM on Apr 13th 2008 by I don't believe it

39. Who do I send my resume to at CBS/Paramount for Terry Wood's job on Monday morning?

Posted at 1:41AM on Apr 13th 2008 by John

40. HAHA! BJ, we have a Brit story to stay on topic.................

Posted at 1:43AM on Apr 13th 2008 by Kelli

41. John, do you really want to be associated with that sinking ship of a television show? Don't send your career down the tubes.

Go Sox

Posted at 1:48AM on Apr 13th 2008 by Baseball Junkie

42. Poster #9 Great reporting. I din not know all of this. I NEVER CARED FOR DR. PHIL. I COULD DO HIS SHOW. NEVER WATCHED IT. THOUGHT HE WAS FULL OF CRAP

Poster #25 Get a grip! Promote elswhere. Geesh. In fact, go to a playground and play on the slides or have a slumber party and discuss your idol.

Posted at 9:44AM on Apr 13th 2008 by Sheila

43. What's wrong, you white trash little girl? Embarrassed to show your face? Kind of how you meant to embarrass that other girl by NEEDING five other people to help you "beat her up?" These girls can dish it out but they sure can't take it. This is one time when I don't feel bad for someone being badgered by reporters.

As for that weepy lady saying "Leave her alone!"...um, okay, so where was your little friend's sympathy for another person when she was busy videotaping herself and all of her friends acting like stupid animals? Why should we leave her alone? She wanted to be famous on YouTube, and now she is famous...just as a dumbass, not as a badass like she thought she would be.

Posted at 2:15AM on Apr 13th 2008 by Katie

44. #9 Wiki.....I happen to be a HUGE fan of Dr. Phil's and all the GOOD work he has done. And I certainly would not be impressed with an 'unauthorized biography' about anyone. Usually the people who write them are only going for the DIRT and the DOLLARS. And the authors were surprised 'The book received no promotional help from McGraw or his associates.[36]'? They don't sound very smart to me.

#10 Teen Violence...........if he has his PhD in Psychology, he IS entitled to use the title of Doctor.

Do any of you have PROOF that Dr. Phil WAS involved in this, or do you just jump to that conclusion b/c you don't like him? Sounds like most of you could use a good dose of Dr. Phil to get over yourselves.

#18 Joel...stop reading the Inquirer and Star or stop believing everything you read. I am sure if it were true if would be all over the web.

#28 The sleaze didn't fall far from the tree.......soooooooooooo, just b/c she posed for Playboy w/ her sisters, she is a whore? How did you conclude this? I am sure there a lot who have posed in Playboy that would like to talk to you.

Isn't this the cheerleaders beating up cheerleaders story? If so, NO WAY is that fat chick in the picture a cheerleader! And why would Phil be interested in bailing them out? I can't think of any. He has too any GOOD, NEW SHOWS on now.

Posted at 2:44AM on Apr 13th 2008 by Dottie

45. I would strongly recommend that the parents of this girl and the parents of the other juvenile offenders not allow their children to speak publicly about what they did, and certainly not allow their children to speak to any media sources, especially television talk shows like Dr Phil's and also television news shows and newspaper journalists, because, as sure as the sun rises in the east, there are going to be some very financially damaging lawsuits filed by the parents of the victim and you can be sure that those lawsuits will be represented by some personal injury attorney heavyweights who will ask for mega-millions of dollars in damage, not only for physical injuries the young victim suffered, who was beaten so badly that she had to be treated at a hospital for eye injuries and a concussion, both of which can have long-lasting physical affects immediately and pose serious risks for future physical affects, such as acquiring posttraumatic seizures later in life as a result of the brain concussion, but the attorneys will also be asking for liability compensation for psychological and emotional injuries, damages which can last a lifetime. In civil liability cases involving juvenile offenders, the lawyers must bring the liability claims against the parents. So I would advise the parents of these brutal juvenile offenders to keep them as far from media exploitation as possible and not allow them to say anything publicly without a very good defense attorney to guide them because the parents of these kids are in serious jeopardy of losing everything they own.

Posted at 2:56AM on Apr 13th 2008 by just me

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