Very sad. She actually seems quite intelligent. I'd forgotten how many acting roles she had. I do agree with the interview being exploitative. Dr. Phil could have gotten her help without televising her plight. And she probably stood a better chance of remaining at the treatment facility without the added stress of cameras following her around.
That said, I do think it's important to educate the public on mental illness and how it can happen to any of us. Maybe some good does come out of Dr. Phil, but I don't think it's his primary intent.
I just took a look at it and I honestly can't believe Dr. Phil was so insensitive. I doubt Dr. Phil ever asked himself that if this had been him and not Shelly Duvall, would HE have wanted to be televised for the entire world to see. There is always some form of exploitation of the guests that appear on talk shows. If their stories weren't sensational, there would be no live audience and no television audience and thus, no ratings. Yes, they're there to tell their stories, but Shelly wasn't in any condition to give her consent. And if I were to guess, she would not have wanted to be on display, being led into answering questions that Dr. Phil already knew the shocking answers to ahead of time. She was like a lamb being taken to slaughter, all the while not realizing the magnitude of what she was doing. I think he took advantage of the state she was in for his own gain. If any good came from this, I hope that it's that someone will step up and protect the privacy of this poor woman and that she gets the medical attention she so rightly deserves and that prey, like Dr. Phil, are kept away from her.
Benedict Arnold 