Phillips Incest Claim Sets Off Family Feud

(CBS/ AP)  Mackenzie Phillips' incest claim has sparked a firestorm within her family.

In her new memoir, "High on Arrival" and in televised interviews, the former child star alleges she had an almost decade-long sexual relationship with her father, the late rock icon John Phillips of the '60s super group, the Mamas and the Papas.

She says it started out as rape but became consensual. Phillips also claims she got pregnant at one point and her father paid for an abortion, thinking the baby might be his.

Phillips also asserts her father introduced her to cocaine. She has a long history of drug problems. He died in 2001 after a lifelong battle with drugs and alcohol.

Her claims are dividing those close to her.

Actress Bijou Phillips says she knew her half-sister Mackenzie Phillips had consensual sex with their father, Mamas and the Papas leader John Phillips.

In a statement read by Oprah Winfrey on her talk show Friday, Bijou Phillips says she was 13 years old when Mackenzie Phillips told her about the sexual relationship.

Bijou Phillips is now 29 and says the news was confusing and scary. She says it was "heartbreaking" to think her family would leave her alone with her father.

Appearing as a guest on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" Friday, Mackenzie Phillips said their father "had changed his ways as much as he was able to" and she felt Bijou Phillips was safe.

Mackenzie Phillips says she did go get her sister when she "felt like she wasn't being watched properly."

Also among Mackenzie's supporters are her half-sister, Chynna, friend and former "One Day at a Time" co-star Valerie Bertinelli, and Sr. Drew Pinsky, the Los Angeles psychiatrist who oversaw her rehabilitation in the latest season of his reality show, "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew."

"I know Mackenzie to be practicing a rigorous program of honesty," he told "Access Hollywood." "She would not be sober right now if she were not being completely honest all the time. She may have had distortions about that relationship, but there's no doubt whatever happened severely traumatized her."

Among those questioning Mackenzie's allegations, former stepmother Michelle Phillips, who says in a statement to CBS News, "Whether her relationship with her father is delusional or not, it is an unfortunate circumstance and very hurtful for our entire family"

She also told Us Weekly magazine, "You should take with a grain of salt anything that's said by a person who has had a needle stuck in their arm for 35 years. The whole story is disgusting."

Mackenzie's half-brother, Tamerlane Phillips, is weighing in, as well, saying, "I don't know if these allegations are true are not, (but) they're very surprising to me."

And psychotherapist Robi Ludwig says, no matter what, "In watching Mackenzie Philips, I was worried about her. She seems like a person who is still tremendously tortured by her life experiences, and who can blame her? But I would not say she's out of the woods yet."

On "The Early Show" Friday, former "America's Next Top Model" contestant Lisa D'Amato offered her backing, and explained why, in her opinion, Mackenzie went public with her claims. D'Amato became friends with Mackenzie when they took part in the "Celebrity Rehab" reality show earlier this year:


Watch CBS Videos Online

[LadySheila]

I am so tired of these children of celebrities who wait until their parents are dead to write these books. I think that it is just a method of cashing in on their parents names and making a quick buck. Mackenzie's career has been in the toilet for years, what better way to get back into the spot light? It's too easy to make nasty claims against someone who is dead!

[imatter]

I was very disappointed by the Early Show interview with Mackenzie Phillips this morning. While Ms. Phillips has put her story out there to be an inspiration to others with similar stories (and I suspect to heal her own pain, free herself from a long held secret, and lay a solid foundation for recovery from addiction)...the real news is that abuse, neglect, and incest exist at epidemic proportions within our society. If the media wants to be part of the solution perhaps they might consider having experts in the field on their shows to discuss addiction, incest, family dynamics, and the retraumatization that occurs with each denial of a persons reality. Addiction, mental illness, and incest are so stigmatized within our world that recovery from them also becomes stigmatized. Sadly, the implication too often made is that addicts are liars and incest is the victim's fault; therefore, to speak out, to recover, and to try to get better is what takes real work and courage! Good for you Ms. Phillips!!! May you and your family all find peace.

[Crystalslay]

Phillips Incest Story:
Personally I feel that this "story" is being ran into the ground.
How can you keep running a story about a "celebrity" being molested over 30 years ago yet NEVER talk about how the justice system in Missouri fail to prosecute so many of these cases?no words of comfort for those victims except "(Well some cases just slip through the cracks")"Celebrities" are NO better than us "regular" folk,But yet people like you kfvs 12 the early show and the evening news make sure these "celebrities" think they are. SHAME ON YOU!!!

[use2bdown]

RE: Ms. Mackensie Phillips was not expecting her story to cause such turmoil in her family. I've been around recovery from addiction for many years. First of all, after using drugs for 30 plus years, your mind is still not in the right place. If Miss Phillips is truly clean, and following a 12 step program to stay clean, then it is obvious that she has received wrong guidance. Addiction is a disease, classified by the AMA in the early 50's. The definition of a disease is progressive, incurable, and fatal if untreated. It has been proven that a 12-step program for an addict is the only treatment and one remain extremely vigilant on a daily basis to remain clean. In the 12 steps, the ninth step states that "we made amends to those we have harmed, EXCEPT WHEN TO DO SO WOULD INJURE THEM OR OTHERS." In this case, OTHERS, applies to the rest of her family who has been exposed, and lives disrupted because at 1 yr clean, Ms.Phillips decides to write a book? They tell you when you first get clean that, on average, it takes about five years for "the fog" to truly clear. In closing, in my personal opinion, there is absolutely no reason for her to have written this book, at least in the way that she has done so. Do you realize how many other woman, in recovery, whom have suffered the same results from drug abuse as Ms.Phillips, and much worse? If Ms. Phillips is truly working a program of recovery, which is a life long process, she should stop playing the victim, and work on first things first. Again, I do not blame Ms.Phillips, because she is still so new to recovery. She is simply on, what is typically referred to as, a "pink cloud", which occurs when one first gets clean. The disease of addiction's roots are based upon selfishness, and self centered fear. In my opinion this story proves my, as well as millions of others whom have been through the recovery process, opinion to be accurate. It is stated that HUMILITY is as important to an addict as food and what are for one to stay alive. Best of luck to Ms. Phillips on her long journey ahead. Through my experience, and millions would agree, that if she stays clean, she will one day look back, and wonder what she was thinking.

Best Regards,
Bruce L.

[use2bdown]

RE: Ms. Mackensie Phillips was not expecting her story to cause such turmoil in her family. I've been around recovery from addiction for many years. First of all, after using drugs for 30 plus years, your mind is still not in the right place. If Miss Phillips is truly clean, and following a 12 step program to stay clean, then it is obvious that she has received wrong guidance. Addiction is a disease, classified b the AMA in the early 50's. The definition of a disease is progressive, incurable, and fatal if untreated. It has been proven that a 12-step program for an addict is the only treatment and one remain extremely vigilant on a daily basis to remain clean. In the 12 steps, the ninth step states that "we made ammends to those we have harmed, EXCEPT WHEN TO DO SO WOULD HURT THEM OR OTHERS." In this case, OTHERS, applies to the rest of her family who has been exposed and lives disrupted because at 1 yr clean, Ms.Phillips decides to write a book? They tell you when you first get clean that, on average, it takes about five years for "the fog" to truly clear. In closing, in my personal opinion, there is absolutely no reason for her to have written this book, at least in the way that she has done so. Do you realize how many other woman, in recovery, have suffered the same results from drug abuse as Ms.Phillips, and much worse? If Ms. Phillips is truly working a program of recovery, which is a life long process, she should stop playing the victim, and work on first things first. Again, I do not blame Ms.Phillips, because she is still so new to recovery. She is simply on, what is typically referred to as, a "pink cloud", which occurs when one first gets clean. The disease of addiction's roots are based upon selfishness, and self centered fear. In my opinion this story proves my, as well as millions of others whom have been through the recovery process, opinion to be accurate. It is stated that HUMILITY is as important to an addict as food and what are for one to stay alive. Best of luck to Ms. Phillips on her long journey ahead. Through my experience, and millions would agree, that if she stays clean, she will one day look back, and wonder what she was thinking.

Best Regards,
Bruce L.

[k_lara7]

Crime of any kind is not a Rebuplican or Democrat issue. A book like this should only be published to inform people of possible mistakes they could be making in their lives. Venting the families dirty laundry sets a bad precedent and example.

My life is so chaotic friends have told me repeatedly that I should write a book so that my experiences aren't in vane and that something can be learned from them. I've been told my life is a soap opera and I tell it well. I've thought about it. Yet everyday something new happens in my life and I realize that the story can't be told at one time or in one book. Information will always be coming in and updates would have to be made. We will never have all of the facts.

The fact that there is an audience for such stories as this one is more of a statement about the feelings in this country and our priorities. Personally I think this book shouldn't be given the attention it has been. Somethings really should be kept private and somethings don't need to be told in open forum.

[truthtobetold]

Republicans can't argue after what your support for Bush did to this country. But the dems are just as bad and irresponsible. The 2 party system is a fraud. It's all the same people.

[ctb4679]

Michelle Phillips is wrong. She's got cause and effect reversed. It's not that drug addicts lie about being molested; it's that the trauma of being molested by your father can result in drug abuse to deal with the pressure to keep it secret and the struggle to come to terms with your abuse. It's so common to have the rest of the family in denial. It's even common to have the family out-and-out lie in order to protect the image of the abuser. This lying is often done for financial reasons. Family members may tell each other that it's best to keep the family financially stable, in order to provide for and to protect the reputations of the children, grandchildren, etc. But often enough, the real reason they are in denial in public (and may be lying about it) is to provide for their own financial security and to protect their own names, not their children's names. It's like MacKenzie is the "fall guy" for the family, who blame her, rather than blaming her father. It's very sick for Michelle to accuse MacKenzie of lying because she's an unstable addict, it's another form of abuse.

[erasmus111]

I'm wondering why, if he actually MOLESTED Mackenzie, why didn't he molest the other daughter too?

And if he was MOLESTING Mackenzie, why would he wait till she was 18 years of age when she could easily resist him? And if it was MOLESTING,and she was so horrified, why would she allow him to continue? Remember, she was 18 years old, not 6, not 10, not 13.....??

[erasmus111]

by ctb4679 September 27, 2009 12:44 PM EDT
...it's that the trauma of being molested by your father can result in drug abuse to deal with the pressure to keep it secret and the struggle to come to terms with your abuse.


Also, she was a drug addict long before she had sex with her dad.

[Pmarm]

The Republican Extremists jive is just too too funny all around....A serious note >>> I'm wondering if it's possible to assume that this child actually felt that this behavior by her father at the time was perfectly normal, or that she was special to him and that the rewards out-weighed the wrong, if it happened at all, or is it just a lot to do about nothing so she's thinking who cares what the public thinks so long as I get rich and famous again???????? No one knows what goes on behind closed doors....Scary

[rsmik]

She tried telling family members about the incest before John died, so it wasn't exactly a secret. I don't know what else is in her book, the incest is just a part of it, so who cares if the girl wants to wrestle with her demons on paper instead of in her head, it's her choice. If you don't want to read it, that's your choice.