Did He or Didn't He: Steven's Theory

"I feel that I got blamed for it after I turned my dad into DHS (Department of Human Services)," Steven Jr. explains. "I turned my dad in because he was hitting me."

Pam shares her recollection. "Steven had called DHS on us and said that I held him down while his dad beat him," she says. "I know why Steven said it. Steven was a teenager, and he wanted his way."

 

"I wonder if it wasn't some kind of revenge thing," Steven Jr. surmises.

 

Dr. Phil asks Steven, "What do you think about all of this as it's coming out here?"

"It's kind of bullc**p, because I know I didn't do it, and nobody believes me," he says, tearing up.

"That's not true. I believe you," his father says to him.

 

 

Dr. Phil directs his attention to Pam and asks, "Your daughter came to you when she was 5 years old and told you what?"

Pam explains, "Tashika, at 5 years old, was sexually molested. That was founded."

"Did you feel like you did everything you needed to do at the time?" Dr. Phil probes.

"Yes, I did," Pam says.

"So, when you hear this allegation, it brings back a lot of memories."

 

"Yes, it does. Bad memories."

"Could you be wrong?" Dr. Phil asks.

 

"I could be wrong. Yes, I could."

 

"Could you be wrong?" Dr. Phil asks Tashika.

"I could be," Tashika acknowledges.

 

"Give me your proof. Give me what you would base this on," Dr. Phil says to the women. "You know, there's not a lot there."

"Steven watched a lot of pornos on the Internet," Pam says, pointing out that he also used to tell her and his father that he heard them having sex.

"You took that and used that as foundational influence for you that he did this other thing," Dr. Phil says.

"I was told that my granddaughter had said he did, so I'm trying to weigh it all out," Pam says. "I'm not actually accusing anybody."

"Oh, yes you are," Dr. Phil says.

"OK, I guess I am," Pam says with resignation. "I have never really looked at Steven and said, ‘Your son did this.'"

Dr. Phil asks Steven Jr., "Why do you say you want your father out of your life?"

"Because he was never there, and then he

did come around and all this stuff started happening. I thought it was all done and over with until about last month," he says. "I don't really talk to him anymore. It's just too stressful. I don't need this kind of stress right now."

"Has he let you down?"

"Yeah."

"What did you need from him when these allegations came up?"

"More support than he was giving me," Steven Jr. says, through tears.

Dr. Phil addresses Brooke, Steven Jr.'s girlfriend who is five months pregnant with his child. "Does all of this give you concern about bringing a baby into this world and having this child exposed to Steven?" he asks.

"I'm not concerned that he did anything, because I know that he didn't do it," she says.

Steve shares his thoughts. "I have been Steven's only supporter for the past five years, and now he's telling me he doesn't want me in his life. The reason I am here is to prove to everybody else that he did not do this, so I can have a normal relationship with him," he says, emotionally.

Father and son disagree about the history of their relationship.

Dr. Phil asks Steve how he is so sure his son didn't commit this crime.

"I know my son," he says. "I've had custody of him since he was 8 years old."

"What do want in your relationship with him?" Dr. Phil asks. "Look at him and tell him."

"I want to be able to have you come over to my house whenever you want, or whenever I want. I want you to be able to come over," he says to his son. "You're getting ready to have my grandbaby. You think I don't want my grandbaby in my life? You are my only son."

"Look at your father, Steven," Dr. Phil says.

Steve continues. "Do you realize how much it hurts for you to say that, when I've been the only one supporting you all this time?" he asks his son with a tear running down his face. "Pamela and I have fought, sometimes on a daily ba sis, over this for five years, because I want to be able to have my son around normally, like a father and son should. And now you're telling the whole world that you don't want me in your life." He points out that he didn't tell his son that if he didn't come on the show that meant he molested Julia. "What I told you, Steven, is how else are we going to prove to these people that you did not do it? Everyone's going to think that if you're refusing to do this, you're refusing to defend yourself, that that is going to be an admission of guilt," he says.

"I shouldn't have had to defend myself, because I know I didn't do it, and you know I didn't do it," Steven Jr. says, crying.

"I shouldn't have to choose between my wife and my son. I should be able to have you both in my life," Steve says, his emotions running high.

Dr. Phil addresses the father and son. "I think you two need to talk, and I'm going to give you a place and a space to do that today," he tells them. Turning to Tashika he says, "You're a mother. You have to take a protectiv

e bent with your child. You have to do that."

Dr. Phil turns back to Steven Jr. "I'm sorry that the polygraph did not work out, because I think that would have given some definitive, declarative information to you," he says. "We have to make our best assessments based on what we know, and Steven, I have to tell you, I see no credible evidence here that warrants the accusations that have been made against you. I've seen no compelling argument, no logic, no factual patterns or evidence that suggests to me that you did this thing. And, I hope that regardless of what [Tashika and Pam] think or what anybody else thinks, that if you know in your heart you didn't do this, that you put this behind you and move on. They may believe you at some point. They may never believe you. But at some point, sometimes, you have to give yourself what you wish you could get from somebody else. You wish you could get validation from them. You wish you could get belief from them. That may never come in your lifetime, and you have to give it to yourself. I admire your courage for being here today, stepping up and dealing with this like a man. I wasn't in the room. My gut tells me to believe you."

"Thank you," Steven Jr. says.

 

At the end of the show, Dr. Phil addresses Tashika and Pam. "I wasn't in the room, but I've got to tell you, I honestly think you've got the wrong guy here," he says to them. "I don't know if something happened to [Julia] or not. I don't know if it was imagination. I don't know. But, when I look this young man in the eye, I think you've got the wrong guy here."

"Where do we go from here?" Tashika asks.

"That's up to you," Dr. Phil says.

 

Turning to Steven Jr., Dr. Phil says, "I hope that you and your father, a step at a time, I hope you keep your mind and heart open enough to have a dialogue there."