In her 2009 memoir, High On Arrival, Mackenzie first made the allegation that her father had raped her for years.
At the time, she described the incestuous relationship, which began when she was 19 years old, as consensual.
During an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show to promote her book, Mackenzie read aloud an excerpt that detailed the alleged abuse.
She stated, “I woke up that night from a blackout to find myself having s** with my father.
I don't know how it started.
It didn't happen every day, it didn't happen every week, but it certainly happened and happened many times.
It became a consensual relationship over time.
I can't believe I'm the only one this happened to.”
Mackenzie claimed that the initial incident occurred in a hotel room during the 1970s, but the rape continued for another ten years.
However, during a recent episode of the Behind The Velvet Rope podcast hosted by David Yontef, Mackenzie admitted that it was her conversation with Oprah that made her realize the abuse she experienced was not consensual, contrary to what she had previously believed.
She explained, “When I wrote my memoir, I didn't question whether I could refer to it as a relationship or label it as s**ual abuse.
In the book, I did describe it as a consensual relationship.
But after appearing on Oprah and receiving numerous private messages on social media, I began to understand that there is no such thing as consent in a parent-child dynamic due to the power imbalance.
I had to reassess my understanding because I thought I had consented for various reasons, but what I learned was that I had been groomed.”
Mackenzie also reflected on the initial backlash she faced when she went public with her claims.
She expected people to be understanding, but instead, she experienced shock and disbelief.
People questioned her timing, suggesting that she waited until her father was deceased so he couldn't refute the allegations.
Mackenzie believes that if her book had been released during the #MeToo movement, the response would have been different, as there is now more awareness and support for survivors of abuse.
John Phillips passed away on March 18, 2001, at the age of 65 from heart failure in Los Angeles.
