Dr. Phil films Chicago raids while embedded with ICE officers
TV host Phil McGraw, known as “Dr. Phil,” embedded with immigration enforcement officers during an operation in Illinois. Some of the footage was provided blurred.
Dr. Phil McGraw is being sued by his former publicist.
Jerry Sharell filed a lawsuit in a Los Angeles court Thursday, Aug. 20, accusing the talk show host, 75, of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, failure to pay timely wages and wrongful termination, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY.
Sharell alleges he was treated unfairly and differently than other employees while working for McGraw and his companies over a 10-year period, which ended in March when he says he was abruptly removed from his position at Envoy Media on “false” pretenses.
Chip Babcock, the attorney for McGraw and Envoy Media, addressed the legal action in a statement to USA TODAY: “Jerry Sharell was put on hiatus over the summer as is common in this industry especially with a media start up. He was not fired for any reason and certainly not because of his sexual orientation.”
“These allegations against Envoy and Dr. Phil are made up out of whole cloth as he has a 25 years history of treating the LGBTQ+ communities with dignity and respect including standing up for his guests who were attacked because of their sexual preferences,” the statement continued. “This lawsuit is really an effort to avoid a pending arbitration to which Sharell contractually agreed which he has now violated in a number of ways. The company and Dr. Phil will vigorously defend these claims.”
USA TODAY reached out to a representative for Sharell for comment.
What is Jerry Sharell accusing Dr. Phil McGraw of doing?
Sharell says he began working for McGraw in 2016 and was promoted to vice president of publicity in 2019. When McGraw left CBS and launched Dallas-based Merit Street Media in 2023, Sharell moved to the new company in the same role. He alleges, however, that McGraw told him to remain in Los Angeles while other employees were required to relocate to Texas.
McGraw also allegedly required his employees to sign a “Statement of Faith” clause “declaring their devotion to Jesus” at the new company. After researching Merit Street Media’s partner, Christian broadcaster Trinity Broadcasting Network, Sharell came to believe that McGraw had “intentionally excluded him” from the move to Texas because Sharell is “openly homosexual,” according to the lawsuit.
“The realization that Defendant McGraw did not want [Sharell] present in the building or attending meetings with TBN executives who would be partnering with Merit Street Media was both deeply hurtful and confusing,” the lawsuit says.
Attempting to “move beyond that ‘gut-punch,'” Sharell continued working for McGraw and visited the Merit offices monthly. During one visit, he alleges a technology employee saw a photo of Sharell in a coworker’s office and said, “There’s too many of THEM around here. And it’s evil.”
From that point on, the tech worker allegedly refused to interact with Sharell and would instead email him instructions to resolve any computer issues.
Sharell further alleges the office had a pastor visit once a week and, on three separate occasions, held an employer-led prayer in staff meetings. He says he was “quite uncomfortable and found it both disturbing and shocking,” especially because he claimed he never knew McGraw to be “overtly religious.”
Another incident allegedly occurred in 2025 when McGraw said Sharell was “gayer than a fruit basket and not listening.” On a different occasion, Sharell says he made a comment about his husband and McGraw allegedly replied, “When you say ‘husband,’ what do you mean?”
Sharell’s wage claim stems from Merit’s 2025 shift into McGraw’s new company, Envoy, when Sharell says he went from a salaried employee to an independent contractor despite doing the same job.
Sharell allegedly later learned that of everyone who was reclassified to independent contractors, he “alone suffered the highest reduction in salary (30%) and resulting financial consequences including self-employment taxes, cessation of his 401k, and a substantial increase in health insurance coverage expenses,” per the suit.
He also alleges he was denied an opportunity, which was given to others, to make changes to his pay period and received his payment late multiple times from August 2025 to February 2026 without proper compensation.
At the end of March, Sharell says he was told he was being put on “hiatus” from Envoy due to “financial considerations” and that “productions themselves would be slowing down or entering a period of hiatus” as well. Sharell disputes that explanation, alleging McGraw recorded more than 30 shows in April and May.
Sharell also alleges no other employees were put on leave, and “at least two new employees or contractors” were hired during that time. He says his “sexual orientation was a substantial motivating reason” for his treatment at the company and subsequent termination.
Sharell is asking for a jury trial, along with damages and attorneys’ costs and fees.