Princewill Pius
As the daughter of John Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas, Mackenzie Phillips had access to entertainment-industry opportunities not normally available to aspiring performers. However, she also experienced trauma throughout her formative years. In her 2009 memoir, High on Arrival, she spoke about her childhood, and during a promotional visit at NBC’s Today show (via CNN), the starlet revealed that “her father taught her to roll a joint when she was 10, [and] she tried cocaine” when he was 11.
If that’s not all, in 2017’s Hopeful Healing, she recounts that when she was cast in American Graffiti at the age of 12, her parents put her on a plane alone to go to the set. Producer Gary Kurtz ended up being her legal guardian during production because no one else was there to care for her.
One of Phillips’ most startling public revelations appeared when she visited The Oprah Winfrey Show and read an excerpt from her first memoir, revealing her father had raped her when she was between the ages of 17 and 18. That pain is what led her to Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, who told Access, “There is just no doubt in my mind that Mackenzie had severe trauma growing up.”
Phillips has been a substance abuse counselor at Breathe Life Healing Centers in West Hollywood since 2013. She also has a busy acting career, including a reboot of One Day at a Time.
Written by: Nicki
