On December 12, 2006, Dr. Phil devoted an episode to the growing problem of hate crimes against people experiencing homelessness. During the program, he invited Ty Beeson, creator of the controversial “Bumfights” videos, onto the stage. After viewing footage from the videos, Dr. Phil condemned their content and asked Beeson to leave the show.

Dr. Phil then welcomed Simone Gaynor, sister of Norris Gaynor, a 45 year old homeless man who was beaten to death with baseball bats by three teenagers earlier that year. Simone remembered her brother as a kind, compassionate man who believed everyone deserved dignity and respect. She urged viewers to recognize that people experiencing homelessness are human beings with families, hopes, and lives that matter.

During the discussion, Dr. Phil shared that he and his father had also experienced homelessness, reminding viewers that many people are only one missed paycheck, medical emergency, or unexpected hardship away from losing their homes. When asked about the “Bumfights” videos, Simone responded, “This is not OK. It’s not OK for society to condone that anyone would be degraded, labeled, or that someone should profit from another person’s misfortune.”

The program also featured Sean Cononie, founder of multiple homeless service organizations across the United States. Cononie discussed the connection between media that dehumanizes people experiencing homelessness and the increase in violence directed toward this vulnerable population. At the conclusion of the segment, Dr. Phil presented Sean Cononie with a $25,000 donation in memory of Norris Gaynor to support services for people experiencing homelessness.