Late Shelley Duvall regretted Dr Phil interview where he allegedly exposed her mental health issues

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Shelley Duvall, who died on Thursday, July 11, 2024, expressed regret about her most notable interview before her death. 

Duvall died at the age of 75 in her sleep due to complications from diabetes.

The late actress' 2016 interview with Dr Phil McGraw was criticized for its portrayal of Duvall's mental health. After the interview, Duvall mentioned how the interview affected both her and her family. 

Shelley Duvall's controversial interview with Dr Phil

Duvall’s appearance on Dr Phil McGraw's daytime talk show in 2016 was the first time the public saw her in years. During the interview, she described herself as “very sick” while living in Texas away from Hollywood.

The interview sparked controversy over its portrayal of Duvall's mental health, concluding with her declining McGraw’s suggested treatment. 

The interview further included that she discussed alien surveillance programs and insisted her late 'Popeye' co-star Robin Williams was still alive, according to People. 

Fans of 'The Shining' star expressed their outrage, with actress Mia Farrow stating on X that it was "upsetting and unethical to exploit Shelley Duvall at this vulnerable time in her life."

Vivian Kubrick, daughter of "The Shining" director Stanley Kubrick, criticized the show for lacking “compassionate healing” and called for a boycott. She remarked on social media, “Your exploitive use of Shelly Duvall is a form of LURID ENTERTAINMENT and is shameful.”

Shelley Duvall regretted interview with Dr Phil McGraw

In a 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Duvall expressed her feelings about McGraw and said, “I found out the kind of person he is the hard way.” She reportedly became visibly upset when his name was mentioned.

“My mother didn’t like him either,” she recalled. “Many people, including [boyfriend Dan Gilroy], told me, ‘You shouldn’t have done that, Shelley.’” She added that McGraw began calling her mother, who responded, “Don’t call my daughter anymore.”

She concluded, "But he started calling my mother all the time trying to get her to let me talk to him again."

What did Dr Phil’s spokesperson say after Shelley Duvall interview?

After the controversy, a spokesperson for Dr Phil stated, "We view every Dr Phil episode, including Miss Duvall and her struggle with mental illness, as an opportunity to share relatable, useful information and perspective with our audience… With no one else offering help, our goal was to document the struggle and bring amazing resources to change her trajectory."

In a 2023 interview with CNN, McGraw said, "I don’t regret what I did, What I did regret is that it was promoted in a way that people thought was unbecoming... We worked with her for over a year off-camera after that fact. Providing her opportunities for inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care — I can’t tell you the extent we went to."

'Dr Phil' viewers slammed him for exploiting Shelley Duvall

Shelley Duvall's interview with Phil not only troubled her but also upset her fans. On Facebook, many viewers criticized Dr Phil for exploiting her for publicity.

One person said, "I don't particularly care for him either. He acts like him and his family are perfect and he gets pleasure exploiting imperfect human beings..." 

Another user stated, "I stopped watching him after this episode. She had a kind soul and he exploited that for publicity."

One individual wrote, "She was right to not like him is very evil evil man that before he even became famous, he would buy mortgages and then he will swindle them out of their homes. He’s an evil evil person." 

Another asserted, "He was so disrespectful to her I remember watching that interview, my heart broke for her the way he treated her."

One person added, "He was disrespectful and treated her poorly just to get his ratings!!! RIP Beautiful Lady Shelley Duvall ⭐ Great actor! Shine Bright 😔xox❤️☮️💐🌻."

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