Mackenzie Phillips, 65-year-old daughter of ’60s Mamas and Papas’ musician John Phillips, has made a rare public appearance—and outlets have since used the opportunity to rehash her salacious claims about the two’s incestuous relationship.
The One Day at a Time alum made these accusations in her 2009 book, in which she claimed her father would take advantage of her while she was blacked out on booze and mind-bending pharmaceuticals.
She alleged that the pattern continued for a decade right up until the eve of her wedding—stating further that it had at a point become consensual.
As can be expected, family members have since weighed in on the claim, and surprisingly, it is not all backlash.
Mackenzie Phillips says it happened for the first time when she was 18, on the eve of her wedding
The first time it happened to her was in 1979, on the night before she married Jeff Sessler. She was 18 at the time and passed out in a hotel room.
“For a moment, I was in my body for a horrible truth,” she said of a moment of sobriety she experienced after the first occurrence.
“I boxed it away. I started very early on in my life compartmentalizing. … This was the mother of all difficult experiences. … I [have spent] the last 30 years trying not to look at it,” she told her host.
The interaction continued until she got pregnant, and her father paid for the abortion
From there on, according to her account in a 2009 Oprah interview, her use of substances escalated.
She claimed that her father assisted her to the point that he supplied and even injected her.
Over this period, the interaction–in her own words–became “consensual.”
“It didn’t happen every day, it didn’t happen every week, but it certainly happened and happened many times,” she said.
The interactions would continue for over a decade and only stopped when she became pregnant and suspected the child was her father’s.
She decided to have an abortion, which she says was paid for by her father.
John Phillip’s second wife says the claims are false and slammed Oprah for the interview
Michelle Phillips née Gilliam, who married the singer after he split from Susan, Mackenzie’s mother, would later give an interview to the Hollywood Reporter (via Today).
She rubbished the actress’s claims. While admitting that “John was a bad parent, and a […] addict,” she asked, “But his daughter?”
“If she thinks it’s true, why isn’t she with a good psychiatrist on a couch?”
The woman also took issue with Oprah calling her “unconscionable” for letting Mackenzie on to her show.
“I have every reason to believe it’s untrue,” she declared. “Oprah should be more judicious about who she has on her show.”
Chyna, Mackenzie’s half-sister, believes the sordid tale
Michelle’s daughter, Chyna Phillips, 57, however, appears to see things from her half sister’s point of view and corroborated a phone call 11 years after Mackenzie’s allegedly intimate relationship with her father stopped.
Speaking on the former’s podcast in November 2023, Chyna and Mackenzie delved into their father, who succumbed to congestive heart failure two years prior.
Both agreed that he was a “genius” when it came to songwriting, and the younger of the two said:
“You know, I loved his laugh, and yet there was this whole other side to Dad that was kind of like a monster.”
“Very, very dark side,” echoed Mackenzie.
Mackenzie claims she forgave her father
@chynnaphillipsbaldwin Love, Regret, Memories, and Forgiveness. The LONG-AWAITED Interview with my sister Mackenzie! FULL VIDEO OUT NOW! Watch it on our California Preachin’ YouTube Channel! LINK IN BIO #sisters #mackenziephillips #chynnaphillips #californiapreachin #love #trauma #childhoodmemory #lifeexperience #emotions #fyp #overcomer ♬ Love – Slowly
The one aspect of Mackenzie’s claims that the internet finds difficult to process is her proclaimed forgiveness for her father’s behavior.
She noted as much when she said:
“Dad was something else and I get a lot of criticism and a lot of trolling online for having forgiveness in my heart.”
The public, however, feels that harsher penalties could be put in place
The public’s sentiments remain the same.
One of Hollywood’s most unforgettable faces of the 1970s turned heads this week during a rare Los Angeles outing.
Mackenzie Phillips, 65, was spotted out and about with her son Shane Barakan, 38, cutting a casual figure in a denim jacket, graphic tee, and sneakers as she enjoyed… pic.twitter.com/XUq4UbJOsU
— News News News (@NewsNew97351204) September 3, 2025
Reacting to the news on Facebook, one person wrote: “Absolutely awful to go through this, it’s never ever the child being [misused’s] fault, Ever!”
“Raise children so they don’t spend a lifetime recovering from their childhood trauma,” they continued.
“I really wish harsh penalties were put in place for those that hurt children!”
Mackenzie was seen at a The Beach Boys’ band member’s memorial a month ago
The last time Mackenzie was seen in public, she was with her son Shane Barakan, 38, as they visited shops.
She sported a gray baseball cap over her loose black hair with an open denim shirt, black slacks, and white sneakers.
Prior to this sighting, she appeared at a memorial for The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson. Chyna shared the photo on July 15 and captioned the Instagram post with:
“Wonderful to spend time with good friends and loved ones.”
One netizen says the problem is a lot more common than people think
