‘Maxxed Out’ on OWN: A 2-Hour Doctor’s Visit Put This Woman $10,000 in Debt — But That’s Not Her Only Problem [Exclusive Clip]
An aspiring filmmaker went to the doctor for help with a painful medical issue and walked away with a new problem: $10,000 in medical debt. And that’s not her only issue. A pile of credit card debt and unpaid student loans are making it difficult for her to achieve her dream of pursuing a fulfilling, creative career.
In the February 14 episode of OWN’s financial intervention series Maxxed Out, financial coach Leah Collins sits down with Nyeela to talk about her spiraling debt and figure out a way for her to get back on track and achieve her goals.
Nyeela confesses to dodging creditors and ignoring bills
How did Nyeela get here? In this exclusive clip, she explains to Leah how ended up tens of thousands of dollars in the hole thanks to unpaid medical bills, spiraling credit card debt, and student loans she’s simply decided to ignore.
“I also accumulated some medical bills,” says Nyeela, who doesn’t have health insurance. “I had a fibroid that cost me $10,000 for a 2-hour visit – a CAT scan and a Tylenol.”
“Adding on the credit card, the interest started picking up, and after a while it was like, ‘Oh, shoot, I can’t pay this. This is out of my hands. I gotta give it to the Lord,’” she continues.
Nyeela might have put her bills in God’s hands, but her credit card issuers weren’t so spiritually inclined. They kept calling her in an effort to collect on her debt, which she estimates totals another $30,000 to $40,000.
“I was like, ‘Listen, you’re not going to worry me about these bills that I can’t pay right now. I can’t. When I get it, you’ll get it,’” she says.
Eventually, the constant calls became so overwhelming that she just stopped answering the phone.
‘Maxxed Out’ host Leah Collins says Nyeela needs to get real
The amount of Nyeela’s debt would be overwhelming for almost anyone. But she faces an additional problem. She doesn’t currently have a full-time job. While she previously worked in commercial real estate in Los Angeles, she left that position to move to Texas and pursue her dream career. Though it set her back financially, she still thinks it was the right move.
“I just knew it wasn’t what my soul wanted to do,” she says of her previous role. “…So leaving that job, moving to Dallas, and just starting fresh, and for me to have not even been in this world for even a year yet – I think I’m doing pretty darn good.”
Leah isn’t so sure. She wants to know if Nyeela would consider going back to a corporate job. Nyeela lets out a dramatic sigh.
“At this point in my filmmaking journey, I’m a filmmaker. I’m locked in,” she replies.
But is Nyeela living in a fantasyland?
“I’m listening to Nyeela telling me she can’t pay her bills, she hasn’t paid her bills, she’s never paid her student loans,” Leah says. “She desperately needs a full-time, regular, dependable, J-O-B so she can get out of D-E-B-T.”
Maxxed Out airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on OWN.
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