Annie Walton Doyle
Warning: This article contains details some readers may find distressing.
Mackenzie Phillips, daughter of The Mamas & the Papas frontman John Phillips, has spoken out about her alleged in****uous relationship with her dad.
You may recognize Mackenzie from her acting roles in the sitcom One Day at a Time, Orange Is the New Black, and movies like American Graffiti.
Her sister, Chynna, is one-third of the pop band Wilson Phillips, alongside Carnie and Wendy Wilson, the daughters of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.
Chynna and Mackenzie’s father, John Phillips, was known for hits like ‘California Dreamin’ and ‘Monday, Monday,’ in the band he fronted with their mother, Michelle Phillips.
In an interview for Chynna’s YouTube channel, Mackenzie opens up about the abusive relationship she had with her father.
Mackenzie claims that John had ‘a very dark side.’
In a prior interview with People, she tells the story of her father trying to stop her from marrying Jeff Sessler in 1979.
“I had tons of pills, and dad had tons of everything too. Eventually, I passed out on dad’s bed,” she alleges.
She claims when she woke up, she was being r***d by her father.
“Had this happened before? I didn’t know. All I can say is it was the first time I was aware of it,” she says.
She claims that after this initial assault, she began a s**ual relationship with her dad.
Mackenzie tells Oprah this relationship was consensual, calling it a type of ‘Stockholm syndrome.’
She also reveals that she ended the relationship after becoming pregnant.
Mackenzie ended her pregnancy, due to her not being sure who the father was.
“I loved his laugh. Yet there was this whole other side to dad that was kind of, like, monster,” Chynna says in her interview with her sister.
Mackenzie agrees, adding: “He was so dark, and you just didn’t know who you were going to get… it was very unpredictable.”
The pair also muse on Chynna sticking by Mackenzie after she initially came forward with the abuse allegations.
“When I stood by you, I meant it with all my heart,” Chynna says.
“And I believed you and I want you to know that I was proud of you for coming out, even though it was painful for everybody.”
“Dad was something else. And I get a lot of criticism and a lot of trolling online for having forgiveness in my heart,” Mackenzie adds.
“Forgiving is for me, not the other person. And forgiving doesn’t mean that I co-sign or agree with what I’m forgiving you for, or him for. It’s very complicated. It’s very, very complicated. And yet, I am at peace.”
Watch the interview below …
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, you can contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (1-800-662-4357) or go to https://findtreatment.gov/
If you or someone you know has been s**ually assaulted, please contact the National S**ual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or rainn.org in the US, or contact r***crisis.org.uk or call 0808 500 2222 in the UK.
