CBS’ Dr. Phil McGraw has found himself the defendant of a $100 million lawsuit after a man, who previously appeared on his talk show, now claims the television psychologist misled him and intentionally made him appear “mentally ill” on television.
The man, Matthew Barasch, who appeared in an episode last year to discuss stalking, then told the host that detectives planted crystal meth inside his home. The man also claimed to have “hundreds of stalkers” and described his horrific daily routines, in which he believed nearly everyone he encountered once he left his home was following him.
Despite the show’s conclusion that the man was not insane, but rather “highly, highly anxious,” Barasch, who is also an attorney, is upset at the episode’s theme, mental illness and paranoia, and claims the episode was heavily edited to portray him as “delusional.”
A representative for Dr. Phil’s show told TMZ, “We stand by our broadcast. This guest was treated with the utmost dignity and respect, and every effort was made to help him find some peace in his life. We believe the attached clip speaks for itself. We will vigorously defend this frivolous and baseless lawsuit and will pursue dismissal and our attorney fees.”
Watch: Dr Phil Organized Stalking Victim Segment “I Swear I’m Being Cyber Stalked, Wiretapped & Followed”