Robin McGraw Heads to DC for Motherhood Award

Robin McGraw is on her way to Washington, but not because of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

“On Saturday, I’m being presented with just a huge honor,” the wife of “Dr. Phil” McGraw tells ITK. She is receiving the America’s Mother of Achievement award from the nonprofit American Mothers, Inc. during the group’s 80th annual conference in the District.

But McGraw, the founder of the anti-domestic violence organization When Georgia Smiled, says that, until very recently, she had no clue that she was heading to D.C. during the biggest social event of the season.

“You know what? I did not know that! We’ve been planning this trip for so long, and I just heard that, I think yesterday. So it’s kind of exciting,” she exclaims with a laugh.

“Phillip and I have never been to the dinner,” McGraw says. But when she’s not delivering the keynote speech at the conference, she’ll be hitting up a few of the correspondents’ dinner-related festivities. “I think we’re just going to have a ball,” she predicts.

But don’t expect to see Dr. Phil popping into any of the Correspondents’ bashes with his wife — McGraw, a mom of two grown sons, calls this a “girls’ trip.”

“Sadly Phillip is very busy taping a lot of things here; he’s not coming with me,” she says.

And when we inquire about how she calls the doc known around the world as “Phil” by his full name, McGraw explains he’s always been “Phillip” to her: “We’ve been together almost 43 years. When I first met him, I asked him, ‘What is your full name?’ And he said, ‘It’s Phillip Calvin McGraw. And I said, ‘Oh, that’s a beautiful name. And I think I want to call you ‘Phillip,’ is that OK?’ And he said sure.”

But, McGraw admits, “Dr. Phillip” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.

“When anyone else calls him ‘Phillip’ it doesn’t sound right either,” she chuckles.