‘Dr. Phil’ Shelley Duvall Interview: 2016 GoFundMe Crowdfunding Project Given The Heave-Ho By Kubrick Daughter, Scientology An Influence?


Shelley Duvall had a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign set up by Stanley Kubrick’s daughter, Vivian Kubrick. This project was in response to the Dr. Phil segment where Dr. Phil McGraw conducted an interview with Duvall in regards to her mental illness.

The GoFundMe campaign was created on Nov. 18 by Kubrick because she thought, “I just think she deserves a great deal more respect.”

For some reason, it was taken down a few days later on Nov. 22, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Commenters had thought this action was due to Scientology ties to a belief system of forbidding any psychiatry or mental health assistance.

This likely confused actress and poker player Jennifer Tilly who donated $500 to the cause only to have it returned. Around 660 other fans participated as well with a target goal of $100,000.

The talented actress had worked with Robin Williams in Popeye, Jack Nicholson in The Shining, and had many other starring roles in her career. Her last acting gig was in 2002’s Manna from Heaven. Now the 67-year-old actress is suffering from mental illness and had appeared on Dr. Phil’s “From Hollywood Star to Near Isolation: Helping The Shining’s Shelley Duvall” episode.

Vivian Kubric was apparently appalled by what she thought was a “form of LURID entertainment” according to her tweet on social media.

Stanley Kubrick, Vivian’s father and The Shining director, historically used a method to motivate his actors to perform with authenticity. He would “famously subject Duvall to very real psychological torture techniques” to get the job done in the Stephen King film adaptation, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“They regularly left Duvall emotionally shattered, sobbing alone in a room for upwards of 12 hours at a time.”

Later on, Vivian Kubrick explained on Twitter why the GoFundMe campaign was cancelled. From the explanation, it seems that since Shelley Duvall is on government assistance, SAG-AFTRA cannot take on sizable donations for the moment.

“I spoke today with Shelley’s mother Bobbie,” she wrote, who “explained that after her discussion with SAG-AFTRA and the fact that Shelley is on government benefits, they can’t afford to accept any large donations at this time.”

Hollywood labor experts concluded no such interference with the GoFundMe project would impede upon SAG-AFTRA benefits as they are not “means tested,” according to The Hollywood Reporter’s follow-up of Vivian Kubrick’s tweeted explanation of her crowdfunding cancellation. She also mentioned that all donations will be refunded.

It seems that the delivery of the promo was what got under some peoples’ skins regarding the sensationalism of the Dr. Phil TV spot. Actress Mia Farrow demanded others to boycott the episode.

“Let’s not indulge the greedy, predatory instincts of Dr Phil.”

Mia’s son, Ronan Farrow, also followed up with a series of tweets protesting the show. ET Canada’s correspondents even pointed out how the promo took Shelly Duvall’s mental illness and sensationalized it on national television. They did acknowledge that Dr. Phil is there to help, but suggested that something was different in regards to its presentation.

To take a look back and get an idea of Shelly’s dialogue on the Dr. Phil talk show, she stated that she still thinks Robin Williams is alive and a shapshifter and also thinks she’s being threatened by Nottingham’s Sheriff. Dr. Phil McGraw asked her if she would like help since she did acknowledge that she needed it. Shelley asked that when she was taken over to the treatment center, she wanted assurance that she would not be killed.

That said, do you think Duvall was too sensationalized in the Dr. Phil TV promo? Do you think the show host has a history of being more helpful to those who need it over what others may consider too insensitive for Shelly’s mental illness?

[Featured Image by Liu Heung Shing/AP Images]

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