It Was Love At First Sight For Dr. Phil When He First Met His Wife Robin McGraw

Jan 04, 2022

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 then, Dr. Phil has continued to educate his audience while stealing their hearts with his charm. Since "Dr. Phil" is a talk show format, he reveals quite a bit about himself on there, which allows him to establish a personal connection to his viewers.

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. The show has even introduced the world to his beloved family including his wife Robin McGraw.

Robin is Dr. Phil’s second wife. His first wife was a woman named Debbie Higgins McCall. Robin is an author and has become a well-loved part of "Dr. Phil," lending her opinion on topics of discussion. She is also the host of a podcast called “I’ve Got a Secret! With Robin McGraw.”

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. Both of the men have married and had children of their own, making Robin and Dr. Phil grandparents. 

Keep reading to learn more about Dr. Phil’s love life and how he met his beloved wife, Robin.

One aspect of Dr. Phil's personal life that the public has been lucky to witness is his strong sense of family. Most prominently is his wife Robin McGraw, who he married in 1976, and who is in fact Dr. Phil's second wife. 

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.”

It is 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.

Robin is a #1 New York Times best-selling author who has written many books, particularly on women's topics. She often appears on "Dr. Phil" and is valued for her input when her husband is giving advice to guests. 

Robin and Dr. Phil met through his sister and he was immediately interested in her. Robin shared: “The very, very first time that Philip and I saw each other was in his mother and father’s family room. I was friends with his sister. So I walk into the room, there he is. He looks up and the first thing he says was, ‘Who are you?’”

Dr. Phil is also a pilot and decided to take Robin for a flight on their first date. “She said she had never been up in an airplane, which I took as a dare. So I thought, ‘Well, she wants to get her feet off the ground, we’ll get her feet off the ground.’ So we went up at about 10 o’clock that night,” he said.

Despite it being her first flight, Robin was not afraid at all. She said, “I really go with my gut always. I knew I’d be safe with this man. I do believe in love at first sight, and I fell in love with this man on that very first night.”

Dr. Phil also fell in love right away, even if he didn’t mean to. He added, “I knew she was the one because I wasn’t looking for the one. You’re not thinking about it, you’re not looking, you’re not wondering. And then, I met her and it just didn’t seem like there was much point in doing all of the things I was doing if she wasn’t gonna be involved. That’s how I knew.”

What do you think of Dr. Phil and Robin’s love story? Do you believe in love at first sight? Let us know and feel free to pass this along to your friends and family.