Not Quite Schadenfreude
Perhaps it seems a fine distinction, but it's not any matter of personal satisfaction, but rather, the relief of knowing it's not just me. Insofar as I loathe Dr. Phil, and consider him iconic of something seriously amiss in our society, the straightforward idea of bankrutcy ought to be satisfactory. But it's Phil McGraw, so so there is nothing straightforward about it:
The thing about Chapter 7 is that it is in part a manner of reconciliation; those who wonder why the court would seem to reward him with a mitigating pathway are answered easily enough: The court must consider the possibility that the whole point of a Chapter 11 filing is to unsettle and deprive the position of an investor; Chapter 7 does not bring that circumstance to bear.
The "unflattering" text messatge about a "gangster move" that, apparently, reeks of incrimination, is important:
There is something extraordinary about the moment. Think like a political question: In what way is this not untrue? To take the reportorial summary, per USA Today: "The TV star has denied allegations he improperly filed for bankruptcy, adding he did everything he could to keep Merit Street afloat". That says nothing about whether he calculated a bankruptcy path to injure a particular partner. More directly: "I'm doing everything I can to keep Merit up and running. This theory, that this was all a ploy to set up Envoy Media, is absurd." Again, nothing about that says anything toward the question of scrweing an investment partner, or whether he tried to destroy evidence of impropriety.
Moreover, according to Trinity, the Christian brioadcaster, McGraw did not deliver any episodes despite substantial investment. Dr. Phil's spox disputed that claim, suggesting 214 episodes aired on Merit; per USA Today, "whether those episodes were considered part of the Trinity deal has been disputed".
Judge Everett suggested, "McGraw believed he was calling the shots", but went on to explain, "Candor to the court is critical."
And that's why it's not any mere matter of satisfaction. Candor is the one thing absent from Dr. Phil's tragic tale. And to think, it's 2025, and the Christians are only now figuring this out. The bully's rush is intoxicating, to be certain, but for some, perhaps, it's addictive. Thing is, this has always been Phil's ethic; it is a durable value, his enduring appeal, and probably looked a lot better once upon a time, especially when it was making more money.
____________________
Notes:
Robledo, Anthony. "Dr. Phil accused of deleting incriminating texts amid bankruptcy filing – Reports". USA Today. 30 October 2025. USAToday.com. 30 October 2025. https://www.usatoday.com/story/ente...9/dr-phil-mcgraw-bankruptcy-case/86954425007/
See Also:
McHugh, Calder. "Why Does Dr. Phil Keep Showing Up at ICE Raids?" Politico. 9 June 2025. Politico.com. 30 October 2025. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/06/09/dr-phil-ice-immigration-00395344
Perhaps it seems a fine distinction, but it's not any matter of personal satisfaction, but rather, the relief of knowing it's not just me. Insofar as I loathe Dr. Phil, and consider him iconic of something seriously amiss in our society, the straightforward idea of bankrutcy ought to be satisfactory. But it's Phil McGraw, so so there is nothing straightforward about it:
Dr. Phil's bankruptcy proceeding has not gone as planned.
A northern Texas judge ruled that Dr. Phil McGraw's Merit Street Media company assets will undergo a Chapter 7 liquidation instead of a Chapter 11 reorganization due to concerns of alleged wrongdoing, according to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Scott Everett explained in his Tuesday, Oct. 28, ruling that this is largely due to suspicion about McGraw improperly filing for bankruptcy following alleged incriminating text messages. McGraw has denied several accusations regarding the bankruptcy, including that he allegedly filed for bankruptcy to jumpstart a new company.
The court cited evidence showing McGraw deleted an "unflattering" text message regarding a "gangster move" that allegedly incriminated him of trying to avoid paying certain creditors through the Chapter 11 route, Variety reported.
USA TODAY has reached out to McGraw's legal representatives for comment.
At Tuesday's hearing, the judge said he has "never seen a case" like this, referring to it as an "anomaly," according to the outlets.
(Robledo↱)
A northern Texas judge ruled that Dr. Phil McGraw's Merit Street Media company assets will undergo a Chapter 7 liquidation instead of a Chapter 11 reorganization due to concerns of alleged wrongdoing, according to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Scott Everett explained in his Tuesday, Oct. 28, ruling that this is largely due to suspicion about McGraw improperly filing for bankruptcy following alleged incriminating text messages. McGraw has denied several accusations regarding the bankruptcy, including that he allegedly filed for bankruptcy to jumpstart a new company.
The court cited evidence showing McGraw deleted an "unflattering" text message regarding a "gangster move" that allegedly incriminated him of trying to avoid paying certain creditors through the Chapter 11 route, Variety reported.
USA TODAY has reached out to McGraw's legal representatives for comment.
At Tuesday's hearing, the judge said he has "never seen a case" like this, referring to it as an "anomaly," according to the outlets.
(Robledo↱)
The thing about Chapter 7 is that it is in part a manner of reconciliation; those who wonder why the court would seem to reward him with a mitigating pathway are answered easily enough: The court must consider the possibility that the whole point of a Chapter 11 filing is to unsettle and deprive the position of an investor; Chapter 7 does not bring that circumstance to bear.
The "unflattering" text messatge about a "gangster move" that, apparently, reeks of incrimination, is important:
The court cited evidence showing McGraw deleted an "unflattering" text message regarding a "gangster move" that allegedly incriminated him of trying to avoid paying certain creditors through the Chapter 11 route ....
.... In private messages, McGraw described a "gangster move" to make Trinity a "passive minority investor" through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to court docs obtained by USA TODAY. Court records state McGraw planned on "taking the money and running instead of following through on his end of the bargain."
.... In private messages, McGraw described a "gangster move" to make Trinity a "passive minority investor" through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to court docs obtained by USA TODAY. Court records state McGraw planned on "taking the money and running instead of following through on his end of the bargain."
There is something extraordinary about the moment. Think like a political question: In what way is this not untrue? To take the reportorial summary, per USA Today: "The TV star has denied allegations he improperly filed for bankruptcy, adding he did everything he could to keep Merit Street afloat". That says nothing about whether he calculated a bankruptcy path to injure a particular partner. More directly: "I'm doing everything I can to keep Merit up and running. This theory, that this was all a ploy to set up Envoy Media, is absurd." Again, nothing about that says anything toward the question of scrweing an investment partner, or whether he tried to destroy evidence of impropriety.
Moreover, according to Trinity, the Christian brioadcaster, McGraw did not deliver any episodes despite substantial investment. Dr. Phil's spox disputed that claim, suggesting 214 episodes aired on Merit; per USA Today, "whether those episodes were considered part of the Trinity deal has been disputed".
Judge Everett suggested, "McGraw believed he was calling the shots", but went on to explain, "Candor to the court is critical."
And that's why it's not any mere matter of satisfaction. Candor is the one thing absent from Dr. Phil's tragic tale. And to think, it's 2025, and the Christians are only now figuring this out. The bully's rush is intoxicating, to be certain, but for some, perhaps, it's addictive. Thing is, this has always been Phil's ethic; it is a durable value, his enduring appeal, and probably looked a lot better once upon a time, especially when it was making more money.
____________________
Notes:
Robledo, Anthony. "Dr. Phil accused of deleting incriminating texts amid bankruptcy filing – Reports". USA Today. 30 October 2025. USAToday.com. 30 October 2025. https://www.usatoday.com/story/ente...9/dr-phil-mcgraw-bankruptcy-case/86954425007/
See Also:
McHugh, Calder. "Why Does Dr. Phil Keep Showing Up at ICE Raids?" Politico. 9 June 2025. Politico.com. 30 October 2025. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/06/09/dr-phil-ice-immigration-00395344