In an interview with Newsweek, Dr. Phil and Debbie spoke about their failed marriage. Dr. Phil was positive when he initially recalled how they met, “I was the big football player, and she was the cheerleader. This was just the next thing to do. It just didn’t work out.” He didn’t elaborate on his end on why the marriage failed but Debbie was open to sharing her side. She said that he had a domineering personality that would cause her to feel like a tightly coiled spring. She would feel wound up every time that they would interact. She agreed that it was fine in the beginning but as the days went on, she felt more and more stressed. It wasn’t until the end of their marriage, that she was finally released from her mental prison.
The marriage came to an end when their friends and neighbors questioned Dr. Phil’s commitment to the marriage and his commitment and loyalty to Debbie. Debbie was tired of being put out to shame in front of their inner circle. Everyone knew that he was being unfaithful to her but his emotional abuse allowed him to get away with it. Debbie was met with indifference when she finally decided to stick up for herself, ″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″
In 1973, Debbie finally had enough and left to go back home. She took all of her energy and packed her bags to Kansas City. She did not regret her decision but explained why she stayed quiet for so long after she left ″I understand that in any relationship there are two sides to the story. In my relationship with Phil, I have kept my side quiet for all these years because I couldn’t see any good coming from sharing it. If he had mentioned our marriage from the very beginning, I think the public would not have made an issue of it and find it more endearing that he had some insight being involved in a failed marriage.″
During their marriage, they did not have any children which turned out to be the best for Debbie because she would have had children with a man who disrespected her and cheated on her.
Debbie Higgins was a cheerleader in her younger days. She is now in charge of a liquor store in the Kansas City suburbs.
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