Dr. Phil set out to scoop Oprah -- the woman who discovered him -- on a huge show ... even warning his staff to keep Oprah in the dark.



TMZ has obtained legal docs filed in a lawsuit against Dr. Phil for allegedly defaming two men in the Natalee Holloway case -- the girl who disappeared in Aruba.

We placed a call to Dr. Phil's rep.  So far ... no comment.

Oprah had scheduled to do an exclusive interview with Natalee's mom, Beth on Sept. 20, 2005.  But Phil had been working as well to snag the same interview, when he found out Oprah was in the game.

In the docs, there is a chain of emails between Dr. Phil and his staff.  One of the producers wrote an email to Phil, saying she had found out that Oprah had an interview with Beth.  The producer had a plan: "But we can OUT SCOOP Oprah & do the show w/ her first no matter what we find tomorrow we still have an interesting show - plus only YOU can really help."

Phil (using initials DPM - Dr. Phil McGraw) responded, "WE DEFINITELY NEED TO SCOOP THE DEAL SO IF WE NEED TO SHOOT THIS WEEK THEN LETS DO IT."  Phil adds this caution:  "IF SHE [Beth] TELLS THE OPRAH PEOPLE ABOUT US THEY WILL LIKELY ATTEMPT TO DERAIL IT BY MOVING UP THEIR SCHEDULE."

The producer responds, "Grea[t] & she won't say anything to oprahs peeps she knows it would jeopardize what we are doing - I'll email you both tomorrow as soon as I talk to jamie & we can go from there!! Yippie scoopen the big O!!"

Oprah Winfrey just annihilated Dr. Phil's mustache on national TV today -- shaving off the Doc's famous facial hair while his wife sat and watched.


It was the first time the Doc's been without 'stach in 40 years.

The question is ....

The guy who sold Octomom Nadya Suleman her La Habra house is now asking Dr. Phil and Oprah Winfrey to help pay off her loan so the crib doesn't go into foreclosure.



TMZ has obtained an email sent Saturday by seller Amer Haddadin to one of Dr. Phil's producers, asking the famous doc for help. According to the email, "Dr. Phil and Operah (sic) took personal interest in the steps that led to Nadia (sic) moving to the house. I have a hope that both Dr. Phil and Operah will help me in timely and fair solution."

You'll recall Dr. Phil and his people were all over the La Habra house before Octo moved in.

As we first reported, Octo is late making the $450,000 balloon payment to the seller and he'll initiate foreclosure proceedings if she doesn't pay by the end of the day tomorrow.

The seller's rep tells TMZ Octo's lawyer told him she shouldn't have to pay because the roof and plumbing are bad. And, her lawyer wants to mediate the mess -- not go through foreclosure.

No immediate word from Dr. Phil or Oprah.

UPDATE: According to the big O's rep, "Oprah has not financially assisted Ms. Suleman in the past and has no plans to do so in the future."

UPDATE 2: A rep for Dr. Phil tells us, "Dr Phil has no plans to become involved in the Suleman family's current situation."
 

Dr. Phil McGraw doesn't want to see the deposition in his interior design lawsuit ending up on the Internet -- and he's filed court papers to make sure that never happens.

The good doctor is involved in a he-said/she-said lawsuit with a decorating duo that claims Phil and his wife Robin screwed them over. The McGraws countersued, saying they were overcharged for work.

According to court docs filed last week, McGraw wants to make sure his videotaped deposition is sealed because he thinks "the plaintiffs believe that the threat of the release of the discovery to the tabloids will give them leverage in the case."

Both sides are due back in court next month.

Evander Holyfield and his wife Candi are desperately trying to work out their marriage woes -- but the boxer believes the only way it can be saved is with the help of one Dr. Phil McGraw.



Just days after Candi agreed to drop her request for a protective order against Evander, the two issued a joint statement saying, "We are in agreement that we both are moving forward to reach out to meet with Dr. Phil one-on-one as we believe he is the one who can help us at this time."

The couple added, "We each admire and respect Dr. Phil for his down to earth and heartfelt approach in working with couples and relationships in a positive and uplifting way."

Dr. Phil wants everyone to know he wasn't responsible for a 2007 bus crash that injured 17 mothers -- it was all that pesky bus company's fault.

According to docs filed last week in L.A. Superior Court, the production company behind the "Dr. Phil" show claims it ain't their problem the bus they hired to transport a group of mothers to see the show had faulty brakes ... and ultimately plowed into a tree.

The "Dr. Phil" show was sued back in September by 5 passengers who claimed the show "negligently hired" a crappy bus to transport them to a taping of the show -- and therefore the crash was partly the show's fault.

So far, Dr. Phil's company has denied all liability -- but if a court says Dr. Phil and his people are liable anyway, the show wants the bus company to cover their fair share of the damages.

There's one man in the Balloon Boy saga who isn't a total media whore -- the Larimer County Sheriff claims he told Dr. Phil to kick rocks!

Sheriff Jim Alderden just posted a hilarious blog on the LCSO's website -- describing all the craziness he put up with in the wake of that little "spaceship balloon incident" ... and he didn't hold back.

In the blog, Alderden claims he was inundated with calls and emails from all sorts of "wing-nuts" -- some of whom called him "big mouthed," "fat" and "bald-headed."

Alderden quotes one person who wrote in just to criticize his American flag shirt -- saying " I will encourage any federal investigators working with you on the balloon boy case to charge you with crimes against the flag if that shirt is worn again."

Jim fared better with the Finnish -- one foreign fan telling him "you are good looking, a 'real man' ... you have a sense of humor when you tell the story." Alderden replied, "I might be moving to a Scandinavian country at the end of my term."

But the best call came in from a guy who claimed he had proof Hillary Clinton was an alien. The Sheriff's reply -- "At least that caller had some credibility."

Another woman has filed a lawsuit against Dr. Phil -- claiming she too was forced to be in the same room with a "completely naked man, who was exposing his entire naked body, genitals and all."

The lawsuit, filed in L.A. County Superior Court by a woman named Crystal Matchett, is basically the same as the one filed by Shirley Dieu last week -- with one exception ... Crystal never accuses Dr. Phil of grabbing her boob.

Crystal alleges Phil brainwashed her, exposed her to the naked man and then prevented her from leaving Phil's production office -- the same location where Shirley also claims the weirdness went down.

Phil claimed the last lawsuit was "without merit" -- we're assuming the same statement applies here.

A rep for Dr. Phil just sent TMZ the following statement vehemently denying the TV shrink did anything wrong to the woman accusing him of holding her captive in his offices, forcing her to stare at a naked man and grabbing her breast:

"All of Shirley Rae Dieu's claims are without merit. As with all of the occupants of the DR. PHIL House, Ms. Dieu participated voluntarily, having submitted her personal story with the hope that she could confront, and overcome, her individual issues.

Dr. Phil is never alone in the House with any of these guests and all of his interactions are captured on video and/or audio tape. All guests are, of course, free to come and go as they please and once Ms. Dieu expressed her discomfort, and producers ascertained there was nothing they could do to help her, they called a car service to return her to her home.

Ms. Dieu filed a claim with the Los Angeles Police Department some 9 months after the incident, which was investigated and ultimately not pursued by the Los Angeles City Attorney. All guests of the show are treated with dignity and respect and the show stands by the manner in which she was handled while participating on the show."

Dieu is suing Dr. Phil for an unspecified amount of money.

Dr. Phil is being sued by a woman who claims the TV shrink held her captive inside his production offices, forced her to stare at a naked man -- and then grabbed her left breast.

According to the suit, filed today in L.A. County Superior Court, a woman named Shirley Dieu claims she went to Phil to seek therapy in 2007 -- but instead she claims the doc tried to "brainwash" her and force her to endure all sorts of physical and emotional abuse.

In the docs, Shirley claims Phil forced her to "be in the same room with a completely naked live man while he exposed his entire naked body, genitals and all."

Shirley alleges she tried to escape the building, but "was blocked by the staff to prevent her from leaving."

In the docs, Shirley also claims Phil "touched her left breast during her therapy session."

Shirley also claims Phil lied to her about being a "real" doctor -- alleging that the TV shrink "is not licensed to practice in the state of California."

Shirley doesn't specify how much money she wants from Phil -- but we're assuming it's an insane figure.

Five "Dr. Phil" fans are now suing the very show they once loved -- after a road trip to catch a taping of the program allegedly turned into the worst experience of their lives.

Flashback to December 2007, when a bus chartered by the "Dr. Phil" show -- which was carting members of a Ventura County mothers group to see the show -- crashed while en route, injuring 17 people.

According to the lawsuit, filed earlier this month in L.A. County Superior Court, the brakes on the bus "failed and lost power, making the bus unable to stop" ... causing it to collide with "another vehicle, two concrete curbs, an iron fence and two trees."

Now, five women on board that bus are suing Dr. Phil's production company, claiming the show "negligently hired" the faulty bus to pick them up.

The five women are asking for unspecified damages against Dr. Phil's production company -- Peteski Productions -- along with Bus America, Inc. and the bus driver.