Keith Ablow

Keith Russell Ablow (born November 23, 1961) is an American author, television personality, and former psychiatrist. He is a former contributor for Fox News Channel and TheBlaze.

"Ablow" redirects here. For the village on Mota Lava in Vanuatu, see Aplow.
Keith Ablow
Born
Keith Russell Ablow

(1961-11-23) November 23, 1961
Marblehead, Massachusetts, U.S.
Alma materBrown University
Johns Hopkins University
Political partyRepublican
Children2[1]

Formerly an assistant clinical professor at Tufts University School of Medicine,[2] Ablow resigned as a member of the American Psychiatric Association in 2011, in protest to the APA's tacit support of transgender surgeries, which he considered irresponsible.[3] Ablow's medical license was suspended in May 2019 by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine. The board concluded he posed an "immediate and serious threat to the public health, safety and welfare", alleging that he had engaged in sexual and unethical misconduct towards patients.[4]

According to the Associated Press, Ablow "freely mixes psychiatric assessments with political criticism, a unique twist in the realm of cable news commentary that some medical colleagues find unethical."[5]

Early life and education

Ablow was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts, the son of Jewish parents Jeanette Norma and Allan Murray Ablow. Ablow attended Marblehead High School, graduating in 1979.[6] He graduated from Brown University in 1983, magna cum laude, with a Bachelor of Science degree in neurosciences. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Johns Hopkins Medical School in 1987[7] and completed his psychiatry residency at the Tufts-New England Medical Center. He was Board Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology in psychiatry in 1993 and forensic psychiatry in 1999.[8]

While a medical student, he worked as a reporter for Newsweek and a freelancer for The Washington Post and Baltimore Sun and USA Today. After his residency, Ablow served as medical director of the Tri-City Mental Health Centers and then became medical director of Heritage Health Systems and Associate Medical Director of Boston Regional Medical Center.[9][10]

Television and writing career

Ablow has written columns for publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report, USA Today, Newsweek, The Baltimore Sun, The Boston Herald and FoxNews.com. He has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, The Howard Stern Show, Good Morning America, CBS Early Show, Larry King Live, The Tyra Banks Show, Nancy Grace (CNN) program, Catherine Crier Live, The Dr. Oz Show, Fox & Friends, Geraldo, Imus, Montel, Inside Edition, Showbiz Tonight, and The O'Reilly Factor.[11] Ablow has written 15 books, some published by the American Psychiatric Association, been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and written for Psychiatric Times.[12]

From June 2006 through September 2007, Ablow was host and executive producer of his own national daily talk show, The Dr. Keith Ablow Show, syndicated by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. Since his show's cancellation, Ablow has been a contributing editor for Good Housekeeping and a columnist for the New York Post. He contributed commentary and analysis for the Fox News Channel until 2017.

Punditry

In April 2011, Ablow wrote a health column for FoxNews.com[13] which criticized designer Jenna Lyons for publishing an advertisement in the J. Crew catalogue in which she was depicted painting her young son's toenails hot pink. Ablow wrote that gender distinctions are "part of the magnificent synergy that creates and sustains the human race." The column sparked a controversy around his claims that painting a child's toenails pink could have an effect on their gender identity and led to accusations of overreaction, as was reported upon by numerous news media sources.[14][15][16]

During the 2012 Republican primary, Ablow wrote a column arguing that Newt Gingrich’s three marriages actually made him more qualified to be president. He wrote: "When three women want to sign on for life with a man who is now running for president, I worry more about whether we'll be clamoring for a third Gingrich term, not whether we'll want to let him go after one."[17] The column was harshly criticized, with Rod Dreher, of The American Conservative, commenting thus: "Oh for frack's sake. At some point, you have to wonder when shamelessness crosses the line from character defect to psychopathology. If only Dr. Leo Spaceman were a Republican, he could have a lucrative career on Fox."[18]

In 2013, Ablow said that marriage had "died" because of same-sex marriage.[19] In 2014, he likened same-sex marriage to polygamous relationships or bestiality.[19] He has linked gay parenting to sexual abuse of children.[19]

In June 2014, Ablow accused the 2014 World Cup of having been a plot by President Barack Obama to distract America from what Ablow believed were Obama administration scandals.[20][21]

In August 2014, as a guest co-host on the Fox News show, Outnumbered, Ablow criticized First Lady Michelle Obama's weight, stating "she needs to drop a few [pounds]."[20][22][5] He told the women panelists on the show that they also needed to lose weight.[23]

In October 2014, concerning the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, Ablow, on Fox News, promoted a conspiracy theory that Obama wanted Ebola to spread to America because he wanted America to suffer as much as poor countries.[24][25][26] He stated that President Obama was not protecting the United States from Ebola because his "affiliations" and "affinities" were more with Africa than with America.[27] His Ebola comments drew criticism, including from Fox television host Greg Gutfeld.[28]

In May 2015, on another segment of Outnumbered, Ablow stated that he believed that men should be able to "veto" women's abortions.[29]

Ablow was chief spokesperson and brand ambassador for Golo, a company that sells a weight loss supplement. Progressive media watchdog group Media Matters for America raised questions about whether Ablow's endorsement of Golo violates Fox News' policy against product endorsements.[30]

Medical ethics

The Associated Press has reported that Ablow "freely mixes psychiatric assessments with political criticism, a unique twist in the realm of cable news commentary that some medical colleagues find unethical."[5] Ablow has, for instance, frequently diagnosed former President Barack Obama as having "abandonment issues," without ever having met or treated the former president.[5] He has asserted that Obama dislikes the United States, that he prefers Africa to the United States, and wants the United States to dissolve.[5] He publicly speculated, in an October 2012 Huffington Post op-ed that then-Vice President Joe Biden had dementia after his 2012 VP debate performance.[31]

Ford Vox, a staff physiatrist at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, said that Ablow's attempts to connect his political views to medical analysis "is really just irresponsible and it's embarrassing for physicians in general."[5] Jeffrey Lieberman, chairman of psychiatry at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons, and past president of the American Psychiatric Association, remarked, "It is shameful and unfortunate that he is given a platform by Fox News or any other media organization. Basically he is a narcissistic self-promoter of limited and dubious expertise."[5]

Sexual assault allegations

On February 21, 2019, the Boston Globe reported that Ablow had been accused by multiple patients and employees of sexual assault and harassment; three malpractice lawsuits by former patients allege physical and verbal abuse, and three former employees filed affidavits claiming threatening and abusive behavior.[32] The lawsuits were settled out-of-court in the summer of 2019.[33]

On May 15, 2019, the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine indefinitely suspended Ablow’s medical license, concluding he posed an "immediate and serious threat to the public health, safety and welfare."[4] New York state has also suspended Ablow's medical license in that state.[4][34]

DEA raid

On February 13, 2020, Ablow’s office in Newburyport, Massachusetts was raided by Drug Enforcement Administration agents executing a search warrant. He has denied allegations of inappropriate sexual activity with patients and illegally diverting prescription drugs.[35]

It is alleged that Ablow prescribed medication to eight employees. When the Board of Registration in Medicine rescinded his license in 2019, they also claimed Ablow asked the employees to share the medication with him.[36] In the raid the DEA discovered Ablow had a laptop belonging to the son of former Vice President and then presidential candidate Joe Biden. In 2019, Hunter Biden left his computer at the office of Keith Ablow, a Newburyport, Massachusetts therapist Hunter Biden visited for help with drug addiction and Ablow has acknowledged that Hunter Biden left his laptop at a bungalow attached to his office in 2019 [37]

Potential U.S. Senate candidacy

In January 2013, Ablow expressed his interests in possibly running for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by John Kerry,[38] On February 5, 2013, Ablow announced that he would seek the Republican nomination, but only if he did not have to face a primary battle.[39] On February 6, 2013, Ablow said he would not run since other Republican contenders entered the race, and declared his support for Republican State Rep. Dan Winslow.[40]

Bibliography

Non-fiction
  • Medical School: Getting In, Staying In, Staying Human (1987)
  • How to Cope with Depression (1989)
  • To Wrestle With Demons: A Psychiatrist Struggles to Understand His Patients and Himself (1992)
  • Anatomy of a Psychiatric Illness: Healing the Mind and Brain (1993)
  • The Strange Case of Dr. Kappler: The Doctor Who Became a Killer (1994)
  • Without Mercy: The Shocking True Story of a Doctor Who Murdered (1996)
  • Inside the Mind of Scott Peterson (2005)
  • Living the Truth: Transform Your Life Through the Power of Insight and Honesty (2007)
  • The 7: Seven Wonders That Will Change Your Life (2011) (co-authored with Glenn Beck)
  • Inside the Mind of Casey Anthony: A Psychological Portrait (2011)
  • Trump Your Life: 25 Life Lessons from the Ups and Downs of the 45th President of the United States (2020) (co-authored with Christian Josi)

Fiction/mystery

The series features Frank Clevenger, a forensic psychiatrist from Massachusetts.

  • Denial (1998)
  • Projection (1999)
  • Compulsion (2002)
  • Psychopath (2003)
  • Murder Suicide (2004)
  • The Architect (2005)

References
  1. Ellin, Abby (October 1, 2006). "Move Over, Dr. Phil, Freud Is Back". The New York Times. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  2. Vox, Ford (30 September 2011). "Keith Ablow's Mentor: What's Wrong With the 'Medical A-Team' Doc's Ideas". The Atlantic. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  3. Thacker, Paul D. (March/April 2015) "Database may uncover conflicts of interest for TV doctors", Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  4. Herman, Colman M. (May 16, 2019). "Prominent North Shore psychiatrist has medical license suspended". CommonWealth Magazine. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  5. "Correction: TV-Fox-Keith Ablow story". San Diego Union-Tribune. Associated Press. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  6. "High School Alumni in Marblehead, Massachusetts". classfinders.com. 2014. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  7. "Bio, Fox News Channel". Fox News.
  8. "Certification and Status Verification System". American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. 2014. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  9. Ablow, Keith (1997). Denial : a novel (1st ed.). New York: Pantheon Books. ISBN 9780679442110.
  10. "Keith Ablow:Review and synopsis of Murder Suicide". www.newmysteryreader.com.
  11. Volsky, Igor (20 September 2011). "Fox News' Keith Ablow: Being Transgender Is 'An Exact Parallel' To Anorexia, Heroin Addiction". "During an appearance on Fox News' O'Reilly Factor". ThinkProgress.
  12. Somers, Sandra (September 1, 1997). "The Psychiatrist as Novelist: A Discussion with Keith Ablow". Psychiatric Times. Psychiatric Times Vol 14 No 9. Norwalk, Connecticut: UBM Medica, LLC. 14 (9). Archived from the original on September 26, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
  13. Ablow, Keith (April 11, 2011). "J. Crew Plants the Seeds for Gender Identity". Fox News. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  14. Donaldson, Susan (April 13, 2011). "J. Crew Ad With Boy Painting Toenails Pink Stirs Up Transgender Debate". ABC News. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  15. Bascaramurty, Dakshana (April 13, 2011). "Is it wrong to paint your son's nails bright pink?". The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: The Woodbridge Company. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  16. Badash, David (April 11, 2011). "Fox News Attacks J. Crew President For Ad With Son's Toenails Pink". The New Civil Rights Movement. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  17. Ablow, Keith (January 20, 2012). "Newt Gingrich's three marriages mean he might make a strong president -- really". FoxNews.com.
  18. Dreher, Rod (January 20, 2012). "Fox M.D.: Newt's serial marriages good for America". The American Conservative. Washington, D.C.: The American Ideas Institute.
  19. "Fox News pundit who claimed gays killed marriage faces sexual misconduct claims". PinkNews. February 22, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  20. "Fox News Contributor Says Michelle Obama Should 'Drop A Few' Pounds". Business Insider. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  21. Bump, Philip (June 27, 2014). "Keith Ablow is right: The World Cup is a plot to distract America from President Obama's scandals". Washington Post. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  22. "Fox News doctor: First Lady "needs to drop a few"". CNN. August 17, 2014. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  23. Scarry, Eddie (August 21, 2014). "Fox's Keith Ablow Tells Female Co-Hosts They Could Stand to 'Lose Five Pounds', Shouting Ensues". Mediaite. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  24. Ablow, Keith (October 9, 2014). "Ebola outbreak: Why Obama is allowing Ebolaphobia to spread". FoxNews.com. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  25. Wemple, Erik; Wemple, Erik (November 16, 2014). "Conspiracy theory-driven Fox News doc recently scored contract renewal". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  26. Taibi, Catherine (October 14, 2014). "Fox News Host Takes Dig At Fox News Doctor Over Obama, Ebola Comments". Huffington Post. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  27. "Dr. Keith Ablow: We don't have a president who puts Americans first". radio.foxnews.com. October 14, 2014. Archived from the original on November 12, 2017. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  28. Taibi, Catherine (October 14, 2014). "Fox News Host Takes Dig At Fox News Doctor Over Obama, Ebola Comments". Huffington Post. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  29. Ablow, Keith (May 5, 2015). "Fox's Dr. Keith Ablow: 'Men Should Be Able to Veto Women's Abortions'". Mediaite. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  30. Hananoki, Eric (June 28, 2013). "Is Keith Ablow Violating Fox's Policy Against Product Endorsements?". Media Matters for America. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  31. "Fox News' Keith Ablow: Biden showed signs of dementia during debate". Huffington Post. October 15, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  32. Rezendes, Michael (February 21, 2019). "'I own you': psychiatrist Keith Ablow accused of sexually exploiting patients". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  33. Crimaldi, Laura (June 27, 2019). "Three women settle medical malpractice lawsuits against prominent psychiatrist Keith Ablow". The Boston Globe. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  34. "Dr. Keith R. Ablow MD - Compare against Top Therapists". Archived from the original on May 12, 2021.
  35. "Feds raid office of Mass. doctor accused of inappropriate sexual activity with patients". WHDH. February 13, 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  36. Anderson, Travis; Crimaldi, Laura (February 13, 2020). "DEA raids Newburyport office of Dr. Keith Ablow, controversial psychiatrist who settled malpractice lawsuits". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  37. Mosk, Matthew (2022-05-18). "Hunter Biden's Hollywood lawyer teases counter-offensive against Trump allies". CBS News. Retrieved 2023-01-03.
  38. "Possible Republican candidate for special election visits FOX 25". FOX Boston. January 8, 2013. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  39. Vartabedian, Sonya (February 5, 2013). "Ablow: Will run with GOP backing". Newburyport News. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  40. Cerullo, Mac (February 9, 2013). "Ablow bows out of race for Senate". Newburyport News. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
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