Why was Dr Terry Dubrow sued? 'Botched' cosmetic surgeon’s career took him from operating room to courtroom
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Dr Terry Dubrow and Dr Paul Nassif are sharpening their scalpels in preparation for Season 8 of 'Botched'. And the E! surgical dream team will be the first to inform you that it's packed with their most difficult and intricate cases to date.
Patients have entrusted the two to help heal previous trauma and terrible plastic surgery to alter their lives, from a botched tummy tuck to a dog bite sufferer who lost the entire tip of their nose. There has never been a series quite like 'Botched' among all the other reality shows competing for the attention of television viewers. When it first aired in 2014, the show featured a novel idea that had never been explored on television before. In each episode, two renowned cosmetic surgeons — Dr Dubrow and Dr Nassif — are presented to patients who want to repair prior plastic surgery treatments that have disfigured them, damaged their lives, and, in some cases, rendered them critically ill. Over the course of seven seasons, the show was popular with viewers, exposing them to some terrible cosmetic surgery. Using all of their surgical expertise, the doctors correct the wrongs done to these desperate patients in ways that are both touching and life-changing. Even after all those seasons and procedures, there's still a lot about Dr Dubrow and his litigation that even the most devoted fans may not be aware of.
Dr Dubrow alleged ex-patient wanted to extort him for $5 million
Dr Dubrow from E!'s 'Botched' said an ex-patient was attempting to blackmail him for $5 million. The reality television doctor has a profitable cosmetic surgery practice in Beverly Hills, California, that draws patients from all over the world. The patient in question traveled from Texas to see Dr Dubrow.
Sandy Scroggins claimed that Dr Dubrow treated her in July 2019 for a buttock lift with fat flaps. Dr Dubrow stated he informed Sandy about the numerous dangers of problems from her specific treatment, as well as the necessity for post-operative medical care after she returned to her homeland in Texas. He said that his last contact with her was on October 25, 2019.
Dr Dubrow claimed in 2020 that his former patient gave him a 901-page pre-lawsuit document alleging he was negligent in providing her with therapy. The petition included a complaint that he failed to provide her with a suitable diagnosis or treatment for her various ailments. Sandy then sought $5 million. If she didn't receive it, she was going to launch a federal lawsuit, bringing 'Botched' into the mix as well as Dr Dubrow's team. Sandy was accused of extortion by Dr Dubrow and his attorney, Larry Stein, and he wanted the case resolved through arbitration.
Sandy's attorney, Stephen Le Brocq, informed TMZ that Dr Dubrow reportedly left surgical equipment inside his client and even accused the doctor of hastening her treatment, so he could continue filming his series. "Instead of doing the right thing and accepting responsibility for his gross incompetence, he (Dr Dubrow) makes extortion claims," Stephen added.
According to further evidence made public, when Dr Dubrow filed a petition to compel arbitration of Sandy's malpractice claims, the patient's counsel posted remarks on an internet platform criticizing the cosmetic surgeon's carelessness. The plastic surgeon filed a defamation suit against the attorney, and the attorney filed a special motion to strike the complaint under Code of Civil Procedure Section 425.16. The trial court dismissed the attorney's special petition to strike, and he appealed.
'RHOC' Season 16 'friend' Nicole James, reportedly sued Dr Terry Dubrow
While the Season 16 debut of 'The Real Housewives of Orange County' opened in 2021 with introductions to the new cast members and a reminder that Heather Dubrow and Shannon Beador were not on good terms in the past, the lawsuit accusation proved to be the main source of drama. Shannon revealed that her 'friend' Nicole James, had previously sued Dr Dubrow during an off-camera night out with Emily Simpson and Gina Kirschenheiter.
"Just last night, Shannon told Emily and I that she had this secret about Nicole — that Nicole sued Terry Dubrow," Gina said.
Shannon had made her co-stars vow to keep this knowledge a secret, but Gina didn't want Heather to be caught off guard. "[If] this woman, Nicole, is in fact the woman she thought she was, this is something that Heather should know," Gina continued later in her confessional. "She should just tell her."
Dr Dubrow told Page Six in an exclusive interview in 2022 that he never expected to face a decades-old lawsuit when he and his wife Heather returned to Bravo's 'RHOC' after a five-year absence. "I was blindsided with it," the legendary plastic surgeon said of the brawl, which kicked off Season 16 in 2021.
"To be honest with you, my initial reaction was I felt bad — because that meant that there was a problem," Dr Dubrow said of the incident, which occurred at the Dubrows' lavish Newport Beach house during a Nobu-catered party. “And so if I’m your doctor and there’s a problem, I feel bad about it,” he added. "Obviously, we worked through it, and it was no big deal. Heather and Nicole are friends, and she’s a wonderful girl.”
Dr Dubrow will now return with Season 8 of 'Botched' which premieres August 3 at 10 PM ET/PT on E!