Which character says “Everybody lies” in House, M.D.?

Gregory House is the character associated with the phrase “Everybody lies” in House, M.D.

The line summarizes House's recurring belief that patients conceal information, whether from embarrassment, fear, confusion, or a desire to protect someone else. Because hidden facts can change a diagnosis, House treats statements from patients and relatives as evidence that must be tested rather than accepted automatically.

The phrase became one of the show's signature quotations and is closely tied to its diagnostic structure. House's team often discovers that a patient's lifestyle, relationships, or earlier account differs from the initial story, leading to a revised diagnosis.

The expression is associated with House, but it is not a universal medical rule or a claim that every patient deliberately deceives doctors. In the program, it functions as House's cynical working principle. “Everybody Lies” is also the title of the sixth episode of season one.