Mackenzie Phillips Reflects On Complicated ‘Incestuous’ Relationship With Father, John Phillips

Mackenzie Phillips began her career in the entertainment industry at a young age, riding on the influence of her father, John Phillips, a member of the popular ’60s group The Mamas & the Papas. She achieved global fame as Julie Cooper Horvath on the television sitcom One Day at a Time, which aired from 1975 to 1984. Despite having a successful career, her personal life was tumultuous and marred by an alleged incestuous relationship with her father.

The 64-year-old, who had previously discussed her history of drug abuse and the alleged incestuous relationship between herself and her father in her 2009 memoir, High On Arrival, recently reflected on the tumultuous times and why she chose to forgive her dad.

Mackenzie Phillips says she chose to forgive her dad, John Phillips, for her own sanity

On November 29, the actress engaged in a heartfelt conversation with her sister, Chynna Phillips Baldwin, on her YouTube channel. During their discussion, she shared insights into her decision to forgive John, who passed away in 2001. She emphasized that her choice to embrace forgiveness was a personal journey undertaken for her well-being rather than as a tribute to her late father.

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“Dad was something else,” Mackenzie stated in the interview. “And I get a lot of criticism and a lot of trolling online for having forgiveness in my heart. Forgiveness, because forgiving is for me, not for the other person. And forgiving doesn’t mean I cosign or agree with what I’m forgiving him for. It’s very, very complicated, and yet, I am at peace.”

She says she ended the affair with her dad, John Phillips, after getting pregnant

In a 2009 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Mackenzie shared details of her relationship with her famous father. She revealed that even though it started as rape, it developed into a full-fledged affair due to her craving her dad’s attention which was augmented by the drugs she consumed.

“I was a little girl who had this larger than life [father], I adored my father, I waited for him over and over again. I was constantly trying to get his attention and had this deep, visceral yearning for connection,” she admitted. “Over time, your perception of things as they should be, the world as it is, the rules of society, becomes warped and twisted.”

She also mentioned that she regained clarity and chose to terminate the intimate involvement when she discovered she was pregnant and faced uncertainty regarding the paternity. “The implications, the reality of that, I had an abortion,” she confessed to the show host. “And I never let him touch me again.”