Throwback: When Oprah Winfrey Wanted Dr. Phil to Apologize to Britney Spears for Visiting Her in the Hospital During a Mental Health Crisis Without Consent

Oprah Winfrey’s beef with Dr. Phil reportedly began with his poor handling of Britney Spears’ crisis in the early 2000s. Winfrey, who was instrumental in launching Dr. Phil’s career, at one time questioned his ethics.

Winfrey’s friendship with Dr. Phil allegedly soured over his handling of the 2008 case, in which Spears spent at least several days in the hospital following a public meltdown over mental health issues. She was sent to the hospital shortly after her child custody battle against ex-husband Kevin Federline. Dr. Phil reportedly entered her hospital room against her will, causing quite a stir.

TMZ then reported Phil’s intrusion and quoted the psychiatrist as saying: “It’s unbelievable that the hospital would allow Dr. Phil in her room. This is a complete violation of her rights.”

Many were shocked when TMZ reported that Phil walked into Spears’ room uninvited and spent more than 15 minutes with her, uninvited. He even had disagreements with Oprah, who initially launched him to fame. She was furious that he didn’t apologize and instead used the moment to promote his show.

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A source told The National Enquirer, “Oprah is furious. She expected Phil to apologize before things got out of hand. Instead, he used the spotlight to promote his hard-hitting talk show. wrong.”

Following the backlash, Phil released statements defending his actions, saying he met with the pop star at the request of her family. He told Entertainment Tonight that he visited Spears and concluded: “She is in dire need of both medical and psychological intervention. She was released a few minutes before my arrival, and she was packing her things when I entered the room. We met for about an hour before I started walking. with her in her car, I’m very worried about her.”

Oprah Winfrey wanted him to apologize to Spears for his embarrassing actions that undermined the talk show host’s trust. This incident was a turning point in their relationship. Reports indicate that Oprah said she questioned his ethics and was disappointed with the way he handled the issue.

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