Yahoo News Bhad Bhabie makes abuse claims against Utah Ranch where Dr Phil sends teenagers
Bhad Bhabie has claimed she was subject to abuse at a teen residential facility.
The viral star turned rapper, whose real name is Danielle Bregoli, made the allegations in an eight-minute video posted to her YouTube channel on Friday (19 March) under the hashtag #BreakingCodeSilence.
In the video, Bregoli shared her support for Hannah Archuleta, a former teen resident of Turn-About Ranch in Escalante, Utah, who is now suing the facility for negligence after alleged sexual assault by a staff member in 2019. The ranch has denied the claims.
Archuleta and Bregoli were both sent to Turn-About Ranch after appearing on the American series Dr Phil, which sees Phil McGraw offer advice on a variety of issues, including weight loss, financial planning, unhappily married couples and rebellious teenagers.
Bregoli asked McGraw to apologise to “any child that you sent to Turn-About or any other programme like this”.
She also gave testimony about how she was sent to the ranch by transporters “who come in in the middle of the night”. She said: “They don’t tell them where they’re going. They just take them, they handcuff them, they put them in the car. It’s basically like kidnapping.”
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Bregoli said people at the ranch “take away privileges” such as “sleeping on a bed, eating good food, not being cold”.
Bregoli claimed to witness children being forcefully restrained and said punishments included being deprived of warmth and subject to menial labour.
She said that upon entering the ranch, she was put in a teepee and forbidden from showering or sleeping.
“You have to sit there for three days,” Bregoli said. “They wouldn’t let me lay down for nothing. Like, I was falling asleep and they’re like, ‘Oh, get up, get up.’ So I’m just sitting here like, ‘This is gonna be really bad,’ when I see these people have no sympathy.”
The Independent has contacted Turn-About Ranch and McGraw for comment.
