Her sisters are upset, her stepmom calls her a liar, but Mackenzie Phillips isn't backing down from her claim of a long-term sexual relationship with her dad.
She hopes to become the public face of incest, not a post anyone would want to hold, but one that represents an issue she says gets too little attention.
"If I've started a national dialogue that's going to help people face these issues, then I'm forever grateful," Phillips, 49, said Friday via satellite on Oprah.
Mackenzie Phillips, who revealed her shocking secret in a new memoir, High on Arrival, appeared for the second time this week on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
She returned to Oprah to face the doubts from her family about the nature of her relationship with John Phillips, founder of the band The Mamas and the Papas.
Bijou, Chynna and Mackenzie Phillips.
On Friday's show, Winfrey read comments made by John's ex-wife, Michelle, who was also a member of the band and later Mackenzie's stepmother:
"I have every reason to believe it's untrue," Michelle Phillips said, adding that Mackenzie has a history of mental illness and drug abuse.
Mackenzie Phillips, who also says she became pregnant, possibly with John's love child (which she aborted), didn't take the accusation sitting down, although she has by no means attempted to deny her long and troubled history of drug use.
"When Michelle found out I was writing the book, she vowed to do everything she could to discredit me," Phillips told Winfrey. "She's either protecting the Mamas and Papas brand or is having a textbook reaction: She's embarrassed."
Mackenzie's half-sister, Chynna Phillips, appeared live with Oprah and said that her mother, Michelle, is angry. "It's not something that my mom wants plastered all over the papers," she said, backing up her sister's side of the story.
But Chynna Phillips admitted she, too, shared some of her mother's sentiment: "Am I exceedingly joyful that my family secret that I told my therapist, my husband and my very best friend in the whole word [is now public]? No."
Nevertheless, she said, she has known about the situation for 12 years and, while she wasn't certain that her sister could be entirely accurate about the details, definitely believed that the two were sexually involved for a decade.
"I was completely stunned," she said when Mackenzie shared the secret. "I walked around in a comatose state for about 10 days."
Mackenzie Phillips and father/possible lover John.
Another sibling, Bijou Phillips, has released the following statement:
"When I was 13, Mackenzie told me she had a consensual sexual relationship with our father. This news was confusing and scary, as I lived alone with my father since I was 3, I didn’t know what to believe and it didn’t help that shortly there after Mackenzie told me it didn't happen .... "
"I understand Mackenzie's need to come clean with a history she feels will help others, but it's devastating to have the world watch as we try and mend broken fences, especially when the man in question isn't here to defend himself."
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5 Comments
September 25th, 2009 4:38 PM
I praise Mackenzie Phillips for telling perpetrators that they will be exposed! They can no longer count on their evil deeds being hushed up. This will save many young children from abuse by their parents. To parents who abuse children, I say, 'Shame on you! Stop it! Stop it now!'
September 27th, 2009 5:23 AM
Mackenzie Phillips just wants to sell lots of books with shocking details that is most likely not true. You can't believe the words of a major drug addict that is broke and wants to make money. The man in question cannot defend himself. Even Bijou said that Mackenzie later told her it was not true. There are two sides to a story and we only hear one side.
September 27th, 2009 5:19 PM
i've always admired mackinzie phillips, i liked her early movies. her dad was a fantastic songwriter(not much of a dad or family man). lots of that stuff that occured back then was augmented by drug use. i wish mackenzie well an hope she can heal from her wounds. where's your compasion folks?
September 27th, 2009 6:43 PM
She is not a good candidate to help incest victims because what happened to her was consensual. She was not a child, at 19 i knew what i was doing. If you break the law at 19 you go to jail not juvenile. I don't believe her father raped her first. If that were true it would never have become consensual. She was just as much to blame as her father.
December 3rd, 2009 3:08 PM
I just finished reading mackenzie's book..and my heart goes out to her. she says it was consensual..but if you read carefully, you'll know how vuneral she was at the time, how conflicted she was, and how grossly and terribly that pervert of a father took advantage of her. mackenzie does claim her fair share of the responcibility, and responcibly was the one to finaly end it..and is now trying to heal. I don't believe that she is lieing or trying to make money, because lets face it there plenty of amo for sensationalism in the book without mention of that twisted affair....and I mean who would want to go around claiming tat they willingly had sex with thier dad, unless it were to heal and to help heal others? in the book she is incredbly compasionate in speaking of everyone..her abusers included..she clearly states in there time and time again how much she loves her family and isn't out to demonize anyone..not even her father. shame on michelle for and other family members for being so cruel and hurtful to her in her time of need. now is the time for love, support and healing, not cruelty and punishment, this situation is best dealt with with eyes wide open and honesty and commpasion..the very things that mackenzie's book embodies. I can't imagine how hurt mackenzie feels after having her own family turn on her at a time when she must already feel publicly shamed and in need of support. and with her history of drug use, I sincerly hope that thier cruel reactions don't plumet her once again into a downward spiral. shame on you michelle and bjou you've stabbed your already vunerable loved one in the back, maybe karma will find you and you will oneday be judged as ruthlessly yourself in your time of need. let go of your hate and defensiveness and support this brave woman..she's been through enough. god blesss you mackenzie, please stay well.