Who Is Dr. Phil McGraw’s Wife? Learn About Robin & Ex Debbie Higgins – Hollywood Life
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- Dr. Phil McGraw rose to prominence through appearances on Oprah.
- He’s helmed his own talk show for over 20 years.
- Dr. Phil has been married to his current wife since 1976.
- He announced on Jan. 31 that his show will be coming to an end.
Dr. Phil McGraw, 72, has come to the end of his reign on Dr. Phil. The talk show host and author, who holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, first rose to prominence while appearing alongside Oprah Winfrey on her landmark television talk show as a relationship expert. However, after several years his popularity became apparent, and he launched his own talk show, Dr. Phil, which has stood the test of time — lasting a whopping 21 seasons. On January 31, per Variety, Dr. Phil announced he would be stepping away from his 5 day a week hosting gig and shuttering the show. “This has been an incredible chapter of my life and career, but while I’m moving on from daytime, there is so much more I wish to do,” he said in a statement, in part.
On his rise to the very top of television talk show success, Dr. Phil has been married twice. His current marriage to wife Robin has lasted for decades and counting. But he also had a previous wife, with whom he shared a much shorter union. Here’s everything to know about Robin McGraw and Debbie Higgins McCall, the two women who have called Dr. Phil their husband.
Debbie Higgins McCall
Phil, born (Philip Calvin in 1950,) was just 20 years old when he married Debbie Higgins in 1970. But according to Debbie, it didn’t go well. Per the star’s Wikipedia page, she accused him of being controlling, to the point of expecting her to take up weightlifting as a way to increase her bust size. In the end, she claimed their marriage ended after three years over infidelity.
As for how it started, the TV personality once said marriage was an inevitability. “I was the big football player, and she was the cheerleader,” Dr Phil said in 2002, according to Newsweek. “This was just the next thing to do.” He claimed there was never a fallout over ending the marriage. “We never had a cross word,” he said. “We just sat down and said, ‘Why did we do this?’” They annulled their marriage in 1973.
According to The U.S. Sun, Debbie worked as an editor on the 2013 film Demon Hunters: Fear the Silence. She passed away in 2014.
Robin McGraw
Dr. Phil began dating his current wife, the former Robin Jo Jameson in 1973 while still in the process of annulling his marriage to Debbie. They ultimately married in 1976, and have since welcomed two children, Jay and Jordan McGraw. Robin, now 69, has been quite visible as an activist, public speaker, and philanthropist alongside her husband, frequently appearing on his show and running When Georgia Smiled: The Robin McGraw and Dr. Phil Foundation.
Per the Dr. Phil official website, her mission is to “enact real change by creating and advancing programs that help women and children — especially those affected by domestic violence — live healthy, safe and joy-filled lives.”
In an interview back in 2014, she explained one of the secrets of their long lasting marriage, which is now going on 50 years. “But we don’t fight and it’s because we had a conversation early on and I told him that it’s not natural for me to be in a house where people are screaming and yelling – my parents didn’t do it, I don’t do it and I don’t want to live in a house like that,” she told New You magazine at the time. “He got it and has never raised his voice around me. We don’t fight.”
They’ve been married for 46 years and also now share two grandchildren.
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Source link Dr. Phil McGraw is popularly known as television’s resident psychologist. While many may recognize his work on his self-titled talk show, few might know about his wife of thirty-six years, Robin McGraw.
The couple met in 1976 while Dr. Phil was attending the University of North Texas. While they were considered unlikely to hit it off, the two quickly fell in love. The couple married several years later in 1976.
Robin is the co-founder of the Dr. Phil Foundation, which focuses on building stronger, healthier communities. She is also the author of several books, including What’s Age Got To Do With It and Inside My Heart: Choosing to Live with Passion & Purpose. In addition to these works, she is an advocate for domestic violence victims and the founder of When Georgia Smiled, a charity organization which helps end domestic violence.
Dr. Phil’s first marriage was to Debbie Higgins, whom he married in 1970. The couple divorced in 1973. Debbie has stayed out of the spotlight, but occasionally posts to her personal social media accounts.
Dr. Phil has two children, sons Jay and Jordan, with his current wife. He also has two grandchildren—Will and Ava—with his son Jay. Despite the thirty-plus years they’ve been together, the couple are still going strong and are often seen together in public. They remain committed to supporting the charities they’ve founded together, as well as other charities.
Dr. Phil and Robin are an inspiring example of true love, and, after all these years, they are still dedicated to helping others in need.
