A bitter pill

MEDICAL talk show “The Doctors” has been hit with more racism allegations. On Monday, ex-host Dr. Ian Smith, who is black, filed an unlawful termination complaint against distributor ViacomCBS, production company Stage 29 Productions and its CEO, Dr. Phil’s son Jay McGraw, and the show’s executive producer Patty Ciano. Smith also alleges Ciano sexually harassed him. Smith was hired to co-host the show in 2013 for its sixth season, but the suit claims he wasn’t invited back for the seventh season after he “voiced complaints regarding discrimination which he experienced and observed.” In his suit, he says he complained that, among other things, black hosts were on fewer shows than white hosts and were paid less, and that there weren’t enough black producers. Ciano approached Smith in 2020 about becoming the solo host of “The Doctors,” which airs locally on WLNY weekdays at 8 a.m. He said he’d only agree if the show addressed his concerns about discrimination. “[Ciano] assured him that things had changed for the better,” the suit claims, which court papers say turned out to be false. Smith alleges that Ciano said she didn’t have the budget to hire the black producers he suggested, but then hired more white producers two weeks later. The suit also claims that Ciano sexually harassed him and would comment about his physique, “suggesting that he should wear tighter shirts to show off his ‘guns’ more.” Smith was terminated and replaced by Dr. Drew

Ordon, who is white. Earlier this year, former co-host Dr. Rachael

Ross, who’s also black, made similar allegations about Ciano and “The Doctors” to Page Six.

She described the workplace as “toxic” and told us Ciano constantly harassed her about her hair. Ross told us she was “basically forced out” and her contract wasn’t renewed. Ciano denied her claims at the time, calling the allegations “unfounded and shocking.” She added, “I can absolutely say these hurtful lies are not true.” Reps did not get back to us about Smith’s lawsuit.