The New York Daily News has acquired e-mail in which TV star "Dr. Phil" McGraw admits knowing little about diet products he's being sued for endorsing.
McGraw has a class-action fraud suit pending against him in Los Angeles stemming from his endorsement of Shape Up! nutrition supplements, shakes and energy bars.
The e-mail messages obtained by the Daily News are part of the court records in the suit filed on behalf of Shape Up! users who charge McGraw with making "deceptive and fraudulent" claims about the products.
One of the most damning messages has to do with promotional copy for the product in which McGraw writes: "... THEY NEED TO REDO THE ONE THAT SAYS I CREATED THESE PRODUCTS B/C I HAVE NO EXPERTISE ..."
CSA, the maker of the products, stopped selling them last year after the Federal Trade Commission launched a probe into false advertising claims.
Another e-mail message in which McGraw demands a "strong disclaimer" and warning labels suggest he had misgivings about the product, the Daily News said. The subject will most likely come up when McGraw is called upon to give a deposition, which could be next month.
© Copyright 2005 by United Press International
