"Marcia Brady": I Had Fling With "Greg"

Actress Who Played Her, Maureen McCormick, Tells Of Other Men, Long Battles With Depression, Drug Use, In New Biography

(CBS/AP)  Fans of "The Brady Bunch" know Maureen McCormick as Marcia Brady, the wholesome older sister on the classic TV comedy about a blended family.

But in her new memoir, "Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice," the actress writes of her romance with TV sibling Barry Williams, who played Greg Brady, dates with Michael Jackson and Steve Martin, her addictions, depression, and trading sex for drugs.

Things became hot and heavy while McCormick and Williams were filming episodes in Hawaii.

"We couldn't hold back any longer," she writes in the book published by William Morrow. "It was our first kiss, and it was long, passionate and deep. It was wonderful, too, though as we continued to kiss and press against each other so closely that we could feel each other's body heat, a part of me - a tiny part, admittedly - said to myself, `Oh my God! I'm kissing my brother. What am I doing?"'

Now 52, McCormick - who endured a battle with drug addiction and depression - also discusses her dates with Martin and Jackson. It was several years after "The Brady Bunch" ended that McCormick went out with Martin, who had asked for the actress' phone number through friend Chevy Chase.

"I remember him being a very good kisser," McCormick writes about Martin. "But I was insecure and either high or spaced-out (most likely both), and I didn't laugh at his jokes.

"Though Steve was too polite and confident of his talent to say anything, I'm sure my inability to carry on a normal conversation or respond intelligently put him off," she writes. "We never spoke again after that date. I've always regretted my behavior because he impressed me as an extraordinary guy. I would've enjoyed a second date."

McCormick's time with Jackson was innocent. They met while she was starring on "Brady" and he was part of the Jackson 5.

"Once we went ice-skating and he held my hand as we glided around the rink," the book recalls. "I wondered if he might try to kiss me, but he didn't. After another outing, he did give me a kiss goodbye. But it was only a gentle peck on the cheek."

There were more men in McCormick's life, which spiraled downward into substance abuse and depression as she struggled to reconcile her Marcia Brady image of the girl next door with her private pain.

"I always had this smile on my face," she said in September 2007 in a video released by HarperCollins, "but deep down inside, I felt like I was crying, and very sad."

"Yes, I knew that there were things going on that were not particularly OK," says Williams, "and I empathized with the pressure of having to be this smiling, cheery, wonderful, no problems, no issues kind of image and trying to live up to it."

"When you're a beautiful girl," says TV Guide Senior Correspondent Zoe Alexander, "and you're in Hollywood, and you're swept up in a lot of the drugs sex and rock 'n' roll that this town is full of, you know, it's easy to fall into that. ... But the fact that it was somebody who appeared so together on the screen is what's so shocking about the whole thing."

In the book, hitting stores Tuesday, she discusses cocaine binges and parties at the Playboy Mansion and the home of Sammy Davis Jr., an unwanted pregnancy and trading sex for drugs. McCormick was not available for comment on her book.

McCormick was 14 when "The Brady Bunch" debuted on the ABC network, running from 1969 to 1974. Despite her role as a sunny Miss Perfect, she grappled privately with anxiety and insecurity, the youngest of four children born to a mercurial father who abused and cheated on their mother.

"As a teenager, I had no idea that few people are everything they present to the outside world," she writes. "Yet there I was, hiding the reality of my life behind the unreal perfection of Marcia Brady. ... No one suspected the fear that gnawed at me even as I lent my voice to the chorus of Bradys singing, `It's a Sunshine Day."'

[rwsmith29456]

Another child star fall into the pit that so many others have fallen into.

[gocubs58]

The words "who cares" come to mind.......

[easeup-2009]

I hear Mike was a pickle-puffer---wonder if he tried to get in Greg''s pants too?

[khadilov]

Another washed up actress vomitting old new, trying to get another 15 minutes of fame. Really truly sad.

[pollslie]

I heard Marcia became addicted to drugs after Peter broke her nose throwing the football.

[lyndar2]

Who cares? Give us some real news.

[erasmus81]

I think i''ll go for a walk outside now
the summer sun''s callin my name
(i hear ya now)
i just can''t stay inside all day
i gotta get out get me some of those rays
everybody''s smilin
sunshine day
everybody''s laughin
sunshine day
everybody seems so happy today
it''s a sunshine day

I think I''ll go for a walk out side now
the summer sun knows me by name
he''s callin me
I gotta get out, gotta get out, gotta get away
I gotta get away, get away, get away, get away
Into the sunshine day...

The Brady Bunch

My kids had to watch the repeats over and over and over......

Myself, I think I''d puke if I had to watch another one.:)

[souljam76]

I have a DVD & also a book of "Growing Up Brady...I Was a Teenage Greg" by Barry Williams. & it looks like now Maureen has written a book too.

[easeup-2009]

Yikes! She needs to mix in some Botox......

[yongamerica]

CBS news is well known for being stale. But can it get any more stale than this? Stay tuned. Pigs wearing lipstick have been known to fly off the handle and land in the Bushes.

[easeup-2009]

CBS news is well known for being stale. But can it get any more stale than this? Stay tuned. Pigs wearing lipstick have been known to fly off the handle and land in the Bushes.

Posted by yongamerica at 03:12 PM : Oct 14, 2008

Only 13 posts before some *** made it political....

[questionnews]

I always wonder about that episode where she came crawling out of Tiger''s doghouse with a jar of peanut butter. This story explains some of that.

[easeup-2009]

I like the episode where they come home early & Alice is smoking Sam''s meat.

That sure looked good.

[erasmus81]

Only 13 posts before some *** made it political....


I have seen it in less.

[erasmus81]

My last post should read like this:


Only 13 posts before some *** made it political....

Posted by easeup at 03:41 PM : Oct 14, 2008


I have seen it in less.

[yongamerica]

Only 13 posts before some *** made it political....
Political?
What is political about saying "Pigs wearing lipstick have been known to fly off the handle and land in the Bushes."

Maybe its only political and maybe *** in your gutter mind.

[hypnotoad72]

I hear Mike was a pickle-puffer---wonder if he tried to get in Greg''''s pants too?

Posted by easeup
----

That accusation was uncalled for. Plenty of documentaries showed Robert Reed giving a d*mn about the kids and their futures and, indeed, signing up to do the show because he thought it was going to be more serious and less of a farce.

He made his mistakes in life, and everyone knows he was gay, but suggesting he tried going after a child sexually (pedophilia) is sick.

[rushlimpdrug]

"Marcia Brady": I Had Fling With "Greg"


Yeah, since we''re confessing it now, I also
had a fling with "Greg".

I will write the book soon.
Pleeze buy it, otherwise I will get very depressed.

[linfinster]

I agree with hypnotoad on that one .. low blow, and very much unwanted trash for a comment, easeup.
But really! this is a really dumb topic .. but I did come here and read it, or should I say reread it as it just has a new title and a slight change to the info ..

[slim1h2o]

Can''t believe they deleted my post.

People getting pretty touchy lately....