Dr. Phil added that he tried to avoid his father as much as possible during those years, due to the fact that his dad was prone to unpredictable mood swings and disturbing behavior as a result of his drinking.

“[I] came and went through the bedroom window so I didn’t have to go through the house. It was total chaos…Yelling, screaming vi0L3nce, dome$tic vi0L3nce,” Dr. Phil shared.

Yet things would get worse before they got better for the future television host. During his teenage years, Dr. Phil experienced a level of poverty only a few others can relate to.

“I’ve been homeless,” Dr. Phil revealed in 2021. “I’ve lived on the streets of Kansas City… I’ve slept in a cardboard box.”

However, in 1996, he met Oprah Winfrey. Winfrey was in the midst of being sued for defaming the beef industry during one of her shows, and hired Dr. Phil to provide counsel and assist her at trial. She would eventually win her case, and Dr. Phil soon became a regular on The Oprah Winfrey Show thereafter.

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