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Dr. Phil Apologizes -- Sort Of

In the wake of the tsunami of bad news that Dr. Phil has been getting, he talked to USA Today about his actions regarding Britney Spears. Now he says he was wrong to make a statement to the press about Britney's condition. But he's hardly contrite. He says he said that before he talked to her, as well. Like that helps.

"Was it helpful to the situation? Regrettably, no. It was not, and I have to acknowledge that and I do," the talk show host told his audience Thursday during taping of a Dr. Phil episode that will run Monday. "I definitely think if I had it to do over again, I probably wouldn't make any statement at all. Period."

At the request of Spears' parents, McGraw says, he visited the pop star as "a friend and ally of the family," not as a psychologist. He stopped practicing years ago and is not licensed in California.

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He hoped for a "gentle and relaxed dialogue that might be of value" in helping Britney find medical professionals should she seek help. He would not discuss details of the conversation or respond to some reports that the 26-year-old singer did not take well to the visit.

McGraw says he issued the statement to ET because he knew the media would see him and he wanted to explain why he was there. He disputes those who say he inappropriately discussed her condition in the statement, which referred to Spears being "in dire need of both medical and psychological intervention." "I said that before I ever met her," he says.

When asked if he could do it again, would he still go see her, he replied "How do you not?" because her parents asked him to do it. But he wouldn't have issued a statement about it. Live and learn, Dr. Phil.

Posted on January 18, 2008

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