{"id":1970579,"date":"2025-08-20T15:59:06","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T15:59:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=1970579"},"modified":"2025-08-20T15:59:06","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T15:59:06","slug":"dr-phil-accuses-ex-partners-of-inflammatory-claims-in-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/dr-phil-accuses-ex-partners-of-inflammatory-claims-in-court\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Phil Accuses Ex-Partners of \u2018Inflammatory\u2019 Claims in Court"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n

Dr. Phil McGraw<\/strong><\/a> has filed a new motion after his media company, Merit Street Media, filed for bankruptcy protection.<\/p>\n

After Merit recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, McGraw, 74, alleged in a new motion obtained by Us Weekly <\/i>that the company\u2019s former business partners are attempting to depress its values by filing \u201cincendiary\u201d and \u201cinflammatory\u201d court documents.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the outset of this Bankruptcy Case, both Movants entered into a \u2018press strategy\u2019 fueled in large part by incendiary pleadings they knew would be picked up by the media which, predictably, did occur,\u201d the filing reads. \u201cThe effect of this is to not only insult and denigrate [his company] Peteski and Dr. McGraw but also to depress the value of the Debtor.\u201d<\/p>\n

McGraw further claimed that the alleged \u201cpress strategy\u201d<\/a> from broadcaster Trinity Broadcasting Network and fellow partner Professional Bull Riders (PBR) was \u201cfull of inflammatory and damaging assertions of bad faith, improper conduct and self-dealing\u201d that were \u201cunfounded\u201d and \u201cspeculative.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t
\n Related: <\/span>Can Either Blake Lively or Justin Baldoni Win Amid Their Legal Battles?<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\tIt feels like Hollywood\u2019s longest game of he said, she said. Over the summer, reports of tension between It Ends With Us lead Blake Lively and her director and costar, Justin Baldoni, dominated headlines as they promoted the project. Then, in late December 2024, Lively filed a bombshell legal complaint in California claiming Baldoni had [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Merit filed for bankruptcy protection last month, which two of McGraw\u2019s former broadcast partners have since attempted to have dismissed in court for its allegedly unlawful actions. <\/span>Trinity had claimed that McGraw swindled them by failing to deliver a single episode of his eponymous talk show after inking a $500 million, 10-year deal in legal documents obtained by The Hollywood Reporter<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n

McGraw denied the allegations in his latest filing, stressing that he \u201csuccessfully produced and broadcasted content nationwide, 24 hours a day and seven days a week\u201d and many of his episodes aired on Trinity.<\/p>\n

McGraw also asserted in his recent filing that all \u201ccorporate actions and decisions were taken in full compliance\u201d with the law.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe decision to declare bankruptcy was far from being a \u2018sham\u2019 and was instead a painful decision after much sweat equity had been invested into the Merit Network journey and brand development by Dr. McGraw,\u201d the TV personality\u2019s filing reads.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n
\"Justin<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t
\n Related: <\/span>Justin Baldoni’s Lawyer Releases New Statement About Blake Lively Lawsuit<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\tJustin Baldoni\u2019s lawyer is speaking out again after Blake Lively filed a lawsuit accusing the It Ends With Us director and star of sexual harassment \u2014 and of launching a \u201csocial manipulation\u201d campaign against her to \u201cdestroy\u201d her reputation. \u201cTAG PR operated as any other crisis management firm would when hired by a client experiencing [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cPeteski invested millions of dollars to save the Merit Network and resisted bankruptcy for months despite Trinity\u2019s continued failure to live up to its obligations even when Trinity reaffirmed those duties in a written and signed document in December 2024.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trinity and PBR have not publicly addressed the accusations. Us Weekly <\/i>has reached out to both organizations for comment.<\/p>\n

\n
\n