David Bridges
Key Highlights
- Marriage Background: Dr. Phil McGraw has been married twice, first to Debbie Higgins and currently to Robin McGraw.
- First Marriage: His marriage to Debbie ended after three years due to allegations of infidelity and control.
- Current Relationship: Dr. Phil and Robin have been happily married since 1976 and have two children together.
- Activism: Robin McGraw is known for her philanthropic efforts, particularly concerning women’s and children’s issues.
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Dr. Phil McGraw came to the end of his reign on Dr. Phil years ago. 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 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.
Who is 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.
Who is 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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