A lot of people found Burke Ramsey's smile while talking about his murdered sister, JonBenét Ramsey, suspicious, but Dr. Phil is defending Burke's actions.
The talk show host felt compelled to address Burke's smile after many people on social media started to accuse the 29 year old of killing his sister. Smiling, they argued, made Burke appear like he showed no remorse. Dr. Phil, however, disagreed.
"This was not easy for him because he's kind of a quiet guy and kind of a loner," Dr. Phil said during a Facebook Live Q&A.
"I spent some time with him, and I have to tell you this is a really nice, young man. I can tell you it's a matter of anxiety. It's just a matter of being socially uncomfortable. I've seen it quite a lot actually. It's nothing weird. It's nothing creepy. It's just nervous."
The talk show host also compared Burke's actions to his mother, Patsy Ramsey. "Patsy faced similar criticism during the weeks and months after her daughter's death," Dr. Phil recalled, adding that many think there's a certain way people "are supposed to act when they're grieving." If they don't follow the "normal" protocol, he explained, people find it "strange."
Dr. Phil added, "He's a very nice young man...What you're seeing is just anxiety."
He also defended Burke's choice to give his first media interview after 20 years. "I think for him it's just kind of a nervous smile...Even with that nervousness he wanted to come forward and tell his story because he knew he was going to be pushed to the forefront," Dr. Phil said, alluding the various documentaries coming out about Burke's sister's unsolved murder.
"'I'm going to at least tell my own story,'" Dr. Phil recalled Burke saying. "He does not want her to be forgotten. He wants her killer to be found."