On Wednesday, the City of New York launched its attempt to silence Jordan McGraw, son of conservative media magnate Dr. Phil, by filing a civil suit to block the release of behind-the-scenes footage of NYPD officers that McGraw shot as part of a contract brokered by then-mayor Eric Adams. The same day, a judge granted an injunction temporarily blocking McGraw from releasing the footage until a hearing this Friday.
According to the City's suit, McGraw had been contracted in April 2025 (over the reported protests of NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch) to shoot a reality TV series titled "Behind the Badge" that would celebrate the work of the NYPD, to be hosted by Dr. Phil. (Jordan is more the musical type.) Per the contract, the City reserved the right to review and veto any footage from the series that compromised "public safety" or the public's trust in the NYPD. But, per the complaint, what McGraw delivered to the City in December 2025 was so disturbingly sloppy that the mayor's chief of staff, Camille Joseph Varlack, attempted to pull the plug on the whole operation at the end of December—only to be greeted with defiance from McGraw Media.
"Any of this footage airing threatens to interfere with law enforcement investigations, judicial proceedings, deprive numerous arrestees' rights to a fair trial, and cause significant harm to the City and the Department as it would undoubtedly tarnish their reputation and goodwill," the City wrote in its verified complaint against McGraw and Behind the Badge LLC.