In a recent interview with Oprah Winfrey, Mackenzie Phillips made a disturbing revelation about her past.
The 49-year-old actress and singer disclosed that she was raped by her own father, John Phillips, while she was still a teenager.
During the hour-long interview, Phillips read aloud from her book, “High on Arrival,” and described waking up from a blackout to find herself having s** with her father.
She stated, “Your father is supposed to protect you, not [expletive] you.”
Phillips recalled that this was not an isolated incident.
She said that her incestuous relationship with her father continued over time, even after she confronted him about the rape.
When she confronted him, he responded with confusion, saying, “Don't you mean when we made love?”
This left her feeling alone and unsupported.
However, she was fully aware that it was wrong and shouldn't have been happening.
She described it as a case of Stockholm syndrome, where she began to love her captor.
But when her father tried to make it a romance and suggested running away together to raise their children as their own, Phillips realized they were crossing a line.
It wasn't until Phillips found herself pregnant again and unsure whether the father was her then-husband or her own father that she decided to end the relationship completely.
She had an abortion and made sure her father never touched her again.
Phillips' shocking story has faced some skepticism from her family members.
Her former stepmother, Genevieve Waite, denounced her account, stating that John Phillips was a good man who would never engage in such behavior.
Michelle Phillips, John's second wife, also expressed disbelief and said that Mackenzie's drug addiction may have influenced her perception of events.
Despite the backlash, Phillips had the support of her on-screen sister Valerie Bertinelli, who played her younger sister in the sitcom “One Day at a Time.”
Bertinelli admitted to experimenting with drugs alongside Phillips and expressed regret for not being there for her during their struggles.
In addition to the revelations about her father, Phillips also discussed her history of drug abuse.
She revealed that her exposure to drugs began at a young age in her father's home.
Her father even taught her how to roll joints when she was just 10 years old.
As her stardom grew, so did her drug use, and her father played a role in introducing her to harder substances like cocaine.
After sharing her story, Phillips emphasized that she still loved her father and hoped that by putting a face to her experiences, she could help others who have gone through similar situations.
She stated, “Someone needs to put a face on not only nonconsensual incest but consensual incest, and I know that I can't be the only one who's lived through this.”
Mackenzie Phillips' interview with Oprah Winfrey has shed light on a deeply disturbing and tragic chapter of her life.
Her courage in speaking out about her experiences serves as a reminder of the importance of confronting and addressing issues of abuse and incest within families.
