“It’s never too late to make a life change,” Dr. Phil tells People magazine after Jimmy Kimmel appearance

Apr 24, 2015 08:36 GMT  ·  By

Dr. Phil McGraw has come under fire for comments made on Jimmy Kimmel the other night, when the topic of Bruce Jenner’s alleged transition to female, and his upcoming interview with Diane Sawyer about it, came up.

For jokingly suggesting that it was too late for Jenner to transition since he was old already, Dr. Phil is sorry. He further elaborates on that comment in a statement to People Magazine.

“I’m personally cheering him on”

You can see Dr. Phil’s Kimmel segment on Jenner in the video below. Kimmel asked him if he’s not upset that Jenner, a famous Olympian and reality star, chose Diane Sawyer to come out as a trans-woman instead of his show.

It was all for the best, Dr. Phil said, because if Jenner sat down with him for the interview, it would have been “boring.” They would have had nothing to talk about; moreover, he would have found no words of encouragement for Jenner on his journey, because he didn’t see the point of it.

When you’re “almost 80” (Jenner is actually 65), you can only have a sex change to prove a theoretical point, Dr. Phil continued. Even Kimmel seemed taken aback by this, arguing that Dr. Phil was probably over-simplifying matters.

In a statement to People Magazine, Dr. Phil says he has nothing but love and words of encouragement for Bruce Jenner. He doesn’t exactly say he’s sorry for his ill-advised joke, but that’s what’s written in between the lines.

“Bruce and I have known each other casually for a while and we're around the same age,” he says. “I've said long and loud it's never too late to make a life change, and I'm personally cheering him on. I'm glad he's decided to set himself free in order to live his life authentically. It's his life and his body and his decision - more power to him.”

Bruce Jenner’s transition is no joking matter

Dr. Phil is an influential guy, because of his profession and his highly successful career in television. His words have a powerful impact, whether he means to or not; he has people looking up to him and he can shape opinions with a single word.

The fact that Bruce Jenner is transitioning to female at a later age in life is no mocking matter, Mary Andres, associate professor of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at the University of Southern California, says for the aforementioned media outlet.

He is finally putting himself first, after making sure that his family is ok. It is believed that Jenner kept his secret for 55 years for the sake of his family, having decided to come out now because his youngest kids, Kylie and Kendall, are old enough to understand what’s going on.

The fact that he’s a public figure - and a very famous one, at it - is of the utmost importance for the LGBT community. Once he’s come out, Jenner will be the first celebrity to document his transition and detail it for the media, thus helping to raise awareness and help others in similar situations.