Bhad Bhabie details alleged ‘abuse’ at Turn-About Ranch where Dr Phil sent troubled teens

23 March 2021, 13:39 | Updated: 24 March 2021, 09:04

Bhad Bhabie explains why she released #BreakingCodeSilence video

By Katie Louise Smith

Danielle Bregoli's 8 minute video explains her own experience at the 'troubled teen' facility in Utah.

Bhad Bhabie, real name Danielle Bregoli, has opened up about her experiences at Turn-About Ranch in a new video.

Bregoli first became known on the internet at the age of 13 when she appeared on Dr. Phil in 2016. After the episode, Bregoli was soon dubbed the "Cash Me Outside Girl", and later went on to become a rapper.

However what viewers may not have realised at the time, was that after her appearance on Dr. Phil, Bregoli was sent to 'troubled teen' facility called 'Turn-About Ranch', which she is now speaking out against.

Last week (March 19), Bregoli released a video, titled 'Breaking Code Silence - Turn About Ranch abuse Dr. Phil', in which she details her personal experiences at the ranch, and the abuse she and other teens allegedly suffered while she was there.

Bhad Bhabie shares video detailing 'abuse' at Turn-About Ranch
Bhad Bhabie shares video detailing 'abuse' at Turn-About Ranch. Picture: Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic, via YouTube

The start of Bregoli's video includes a disclaimer that reads: "All statements in this video are my opinion only and are based on my personal experience. They are not to be taken as statements of fact. Do your own research."

She then goes on to explain that she decided make the video in support of another former Dr. Phil guest, named Hannah Archuleta, who recently claimed she was sexually assaulted at the ranch when she was 17 years old.

Bregoli was sent to the ranch in 2016, shortly after her appearance on the show. She was 13 at the time. She says her mother and her grandmother knew that she was being sent to the ranch, but she didn't.

She explains that she was taken to the ranch by "transporters" who "come in in the middle of the night, they don't tell them where they're going, they just take them, they handcuff them, they put them in the car. It's basically like kidnapping."

Bregoli then details her experience of her first 3 days at the ranch. "There's no showering, they put you in a circle which is a teepee but it's open and you have to sit there for three days. They wouldn't let me lay down for nothing. I was falling asleep and they were like 'get up! get up!" so I was just sitting here like, 'this is gonna be really bad.'"

BHAD BHABIE - Breaking Code Silence - Turn About Ranch abuse Dr. Phil | Danielle Bregoli

Bregoli continued: “This place is all about taking away privileges. Like yeah, okay, the phone is a privilege, the TV, all that. But they take away necessity privileges. Like sleeping on a bed, eating good food, not being cold.”

She also said that she saw one student get held down for trying to leave, adding that the staff “had no problem holding kids down, which is against the law, you’re not supposed to touch the kids. But they had no problem doing that.”

Bregoli's video also details how teens would be punished for things like reporting bullying or mistreatment from other peers.

Bregoli ends her video by saying that ranches like Turn-About are "fucked up", adding “I’m not really sure why Dr. Phil still sends kids here, it doesn’t make sense. Like, are you trying to help them or are you trying to hurt them even more?”

Neither Dr. Phil nor Turn-About Ranch have responded to Bregoli's video at time of publication.

Breaking Code Silence is a "social movement organized by survivors of institutional child abuse and activists to raise awareness of the problems in the Troubled Teen Industry, and the need for reform."

In a 2020 YouTube documentary, Paris Hilton opened up about the alleged abuse at Provo Canyon School for the first time and encouraged other teen survivors of correctional facilities to come forward with their stories.