It looks like Dr. Phil’s self-help empire just ran out of advice for itself. A federal judge has officially pulled the plug on Merit Street Media, the short-lived TV network launched by the Trump-friendly TV psychologist, converting its bankruptcy from a Chapter 11 reorganization into a Chapter 7 liquidation.
In plain English? The network is finished. Its assets will be sold off, its employees have mostly jumped ship to Dr. Phil’s new venture, and creditors are lining up to get whatever scraps are left.
Judge Scott Everett didn’t mince words in his ruling. He accused Dr. Phil of showing a “lack of candor,” deleting incriminating text messages, and running a “bankruptcy scheme” to favor some creditors while wiping out others.
“Mr. McGraw deletes unfavorable text messages he doesn’t want me to see, vows to pay favored creditors no matter what the court does, and vows to wipe out unfavored creditors,” Everett wrote, adding that there was “no hope for rehabilitation” for the company.
Ouch. That’s not exactly a glowing Yelp review for someone who’s spent decades branding himself as America’s voice of moral authority.
The “Gangster Move” That Backfired
Dr. Phil launched Merit Street Media just last year after leaving CBS, promising a network focused on “common-sense programming” and “freedom-oriented” content. But behind the scenes, things spiraled fast.
Court documents show that McGraw privately called his plan to sideline his Christian broadcasting partner, Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), a “gangster move.” When TBN pushed back, Dr. Phil accused them of sabotage. TBN fired back with a countersuit, calling McGraw’s conduct “reprehensible” and alleging a “years-long fraudulent scheme” to fleece them out of millions.
And as the lawsuits piled up, McGraw was apparently already preparing his escape hatch — a new company called Envoy Media, which would quietly replace Merit Street and carry the same shows with the same staff.
Deleting Texts, Favoring Friends
If that sounds shady, the judge thought so too. Evidence presented in court showed that Dr. Phil deleted messages where he promised to “wipe out” creditors like TBN and the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) league, which says it’s owed $181 million for TV rights.
One deleted message even showed McGraw guaranteeing his friend Jamie Ribman that his investment was “safe” and would be repaid “no matter what the court does.” That message was recovered not from Dr. Phil’s phone, but from someone else’s — because, according to the court, he’d wiped it.
Judge Everett wasn’t having it. He called the case “an anomaly,” saying Merit Street was “dead as a doornail” and that there was “never even a pretense” of a legitimate reorganization plan.
The Fallout
Following the decision, Dr. Phil’s company Peteski Productions released a statement blasting the ruling as “improper” and promising an appeal.
“We take great exception to the court’s improper assertions regarding the alleged destruction of evidence, which simply did not happen,” a spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, PBR and TBN — the biggest creditors in the case — were celebrating.
“Dr. Phil’s Merit Street Media reneged on its agreement after just five months for no valid reason,” a PBR spokesperson told The Independent. “Then he tried to skirt obligations through a bankruptcy scheme. We’re grateful the court didn’t allow it.”
TBN’s general counsel, John Casoria, echoed that sentiment, thanking the court for “taking the time to hear the facts and learn the truth.”
A Self-Help Hypocrite?
For a man who built a career preaching personal accountability, this is as ironic as it gets. Dr. Phil’s entire brand has been built on telling others to take responsibility — to face the truth, no matter how hard it is.
Now, according to a federal judge, he’s the one dodging it.
What’s worse, it’s not just a professional embarrassment — it’s a personal one. The court documents describe Dr. Phil as someone willing to manipulate partners, favor friends, and even delete evidence to get his way.
This is the same man who once scolded guests for avoiding the truth with the famous line, “You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge.” Maybe he should take his own advice.
The End of Merit Street — and the Dr. Phil Myth
With Merit Street now in liquidation and its successor Envoy Media already up and running, it’s clear Dr. Phil isn’t going away quietly. But his credibility has taken a major hit. The man who told millions how to fix their lives can’t seem to fix his own business.
Judge Everett’s ruling summed it up best:
“Mr. McGraw believed he was calling the shots… but this Chapter 11 case is a broken three-legged stool.”
And that’s how Dr. Phil’s latest self-help empire fell apart — not with a bang, but with a bankruptcy, a deleted text, and a “gangster move” that blew up in his face.
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