Dr. Phil's Ex-Wife Debbie Higgins McCall Reflected On Her Years Together With Him

Dec 19, 2021

Dr. Phil needs no introduction. Ever since the psychologist first got his start on television after appearing on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," audiences have fallen in love with his pragmatic approach to human psychology and his endearing personality. So it only made perfect sense that he got his own show titled "Dr. Phil" in 2002. Ever since Dr. Phil has continued to educate his audience while stealing their hearts with his charm.

One aspect of Dr. Phil's personal life that the public has been lucky to witness is his strong sense of family. Whether it's on his television show or scrolling through his Instagram account, Dr. Phil's family plays a prominent role in his life, confirming the close bond he shares with them.  

Most prominently is his wife Robin McGraw, who is in fact Dr. Phil's second wife. Robin is an author and has become a well-loved part of "Dr. Phil," lending her female opinion on topics of discussion. 

Meanwhile, Dr. Phil's sons have both chosen careers in the entertainment industry — which, considering their father is both a professional psychologist and a show business icon, they're still following in his footsteps. Jay is a writer and television producer, while Jordan is a musician.

Dr. Phil’s first wife was a woman named Debbie Higgins McCall, whom he married in 1970 when he was 20. But their union wasn't meant to last, and while they were in the process of ending their marriage in 1973, Dr. Phil met Robin. Read on to learn more about McCall and why her marriage to Dr. Phil didn’t work out.

Phillip Calvin McGraw is better known to the world as Dr. Phil. The medical professional and television personality was born on Sep. 1, 1950, in Vinita, Oklahoma. According to Biography, Dr. Phil was a college football player (a linebacker) at the University of Tulsa who went on to earn his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of North Texas. Dr. Phil's own father had aspirations of becoming a psychologist and followed them, which likely inspired Dr. Phil on his own path to the profession. After he had graduated, he even joined his father at the private psychology practice the elder McGraw had started.

Dr. Phil was a private practitioner before starting a self-motivation seminar called Pathways, also in collaboration with his father and a Texas businesswoman named Thelma Box. The seminars gave "experience-based training" that allowed "individuals to achieve and create their own results." By 1991, however, Dr. Phil sold his share of the company and focused on another company he had co-created around the same time called Courtroom Sciences, Inc. (CSI).  

Through CSI he was hired to assist Oprah Winfrey in 1996 during her trial for being sued by cattlemen who had claimed that she defamed the beef industry on one of her episodes. Dr. Phil was successful in helping her win the case in 1998 and it led him to become a regular guest expert on Oprah’s talk show. Appearing weekly as a relationship and life strategy expert, Dr. Phil quickly became a beloved guest on Oprah's show and four years later in 2002, he branched out and started his own show named "Dr. Phil." 

Many fans may be shocked to learn that Dr. Phil was married before he met his beloved Robin. In 1970, the TV host married his high school sweetheart Debbie Higgins McCall. They had been together since McCall turned 16 and was a cheerleader for the high school football team which Dr. Phil starred on. They seemed like a match made in heaven, but the relationship ended in 1973.

Dr. Phil has not spoken much about McCall. One of the only times he has publicly spoken about her was in an interview with Newsweek in 2002. Dr. Phil explained: 

"I was the big football player, and she was the cheerleader. This was just the next thing to do," he says. He quickly discovered the marriage wouldn't work. "We never had a cross word. We just sat down and said, 'Why did we do this?'"

McCall saw the relationship differently. In the biography, “The Making of Dr. Phil,” McCall said that as a husband Dr. Phil was very controlling and told her that she had to stay home while he was the breadwinner. But she explained the real reason they broke up was that Dr. Phil was unfaithful. 

McCall said, ”When I confronted him about his infidelities, he didn’t deny these girls and told me that it had nothing to do with his feelings toward me, to grow up, that’s the way it was in the world.”

There were rumors that in a divorce settlement McCall received a million dollars but those have been proven false. It is also said that McCall did not seek out alimony payments and the marriage ended in an annulment, not a divorce. Sadly, McCall passed away in 2014 after battling cancer. She is survived by her daughter Marci and brother Bill Higgins.

Did you watch Dr. Phil’s show? What do you think of his previous marriage? Let us know your opinion and feel free to pass this on to your friends and family.