Don’t bring drugs on a plane: Mackenzie Phillips busted for cocaine, heroin


48 year-old actress Mackenzie Phillips, best known for her role on the sitcom One Day A Time over 20 years ago, was busted on possession of cocaine and heroin at LAX today. She was taken into custody after security found the drugs in her carry on luggage. There is no confirmation yet that the packets actually contained drugs, but it sure sounds like from their description:

Mackenzie Phillips has been busted at LAX for allegedly possessing heroin and cocaine. She’s in custody right now.

At 10:00 AM, officers responded to Terminal 4, where 48-year-old Phillips was being screened by TSA. During the screening process, some baggies and balloons believed to contain heroin and cocaine were recovered.

The former “One Day at a Time” star has had a long history of drug abuse.

[From TMZ]

Phillips is the daughter of The Mamas and the Papas lead singer, John Phillips, and was exposed to drug use at an early age. According to NNDB, she was fired from One Day at a Time on two separate occasions after she was late to work and so drunk or stoned she couldn’t function. The first suspension was for a season in 1980. They welcomed her back in 1981 once she got clean, but she fell off the wagon and once again lost her job a couple years later.

Mackenzie has got to be in a bad place if she’s bringing drugs in her hand luggage. Maybe this arrest will be the motivation she needs to clean up. She’s been in rehab a few times and nothing really worked long term for her. At 48, she’s looking at an early death if she keeps using.

Mackenzie Phillips is shown at the TV Land Awards on 4/14/07. Credit: Adriana M. Barraza / WENN

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62 Responses to “Don’t bring drugs on a plane: Mackenzie Phillips busted for cocaine, heroin”

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  1. Exiled2hp says:

    What do people expect, she is the daughter of The Mamas and the Papas lead singer, the late John Phillips

    No one recovers from that drugfest…

  2. neelyo says:

    First Tatum O’Neal, now Mackenzie Phillips…who’s next, Drew Barrymore?

  3. Ron says:

    I have a family member that is an addict, I can tell you first hand that this is tough. There can be a genetic element to addiction, but not most of the time. I don’t have an addiction problem but an immediate family member does. If she doesn’t have a support system, she’ll never get off drugs. My family watches our person carefully, and they really want to never go back to where they were, so they attend their meetings twice a week and we are all supportive and helpful and have gone to the meetings with them. So far so good, one year sober this month! But addiction is a daily problem for so many people. I wish her all the best and hope that her family stands with her.

  4. manda says:

    I just don’t understand how she thought she’d get it through? I mean, doesn’t TSA look through almost all bags? Just seems really dumb, especially when she could have mailed it all to herself inside some coffee grounds! (Haha)

  5. MSat says:

    What would Schneider say???

  6. daisy424 says:

    You can get drugs through security, I have done it several times, even on international flights, but I never brought heroin or cocaine. 8) It’s all in the creative packing.

  7. czarina says:

    Isn’t there a very harsh punishment for trying to take drugs on a plane? Is this a special sort of crime, or just falls under possession?

  8. lola lola says:

    Can’t she just buy drugs at her new location like a normal drug-addled person? (apologies to Ron..no offense intended)

  9. Cinderella says:

    Don’t most women have enough health concerns at 48 than throwing coke and heroin into the mix?

  10. J says:

    Daisy424, OMG! You’re actually BRAGGING about smuggeling drugs on flights? You’re an idiot! I only hope you get caught next time!

  11. Orangejulius says:

    Daisy – you’ve got bigger balls than I do; I’d be terrified and sweaty-palmed!

    I’m sorry to hear this about McKenzie. That’s the terrible thing about addiction, it’s permanent. Even after getting sober/straight the addiction is still there lurking in the background waiting to bite you in the ass!

  12. daisy424 says:

    J or whoever you are;
    I wrote the truth, what’s the big deal? Haven’t traveled on a plane in a few years. Heights scare me, not security.
    BTW, Who the fukc are you the cyber police? πŸ˜› You gonna come through my screen and cuff me? :mrgreen: OOOh, I’m scared….

  13. Leandra says:

    She talks one thing and does another, about staying clean for her son, blah, blah. It’s all BS….with her the drugs come first.

  14. Orangejulius says:

    Leandra – that’s the nature of the beast. The drugs always come first. You really have to walk a mile in someone’s mocassins…Unless you’ve been there, you have no clue.

    Daisy: Take no notice. I’d love to know how you did it. Not that I’m planning on it, merely curious.

  15. trvlbug529 says:

    Mackenzie’s not a very good addict!
    Apparently she’s never heard about body cavities.

  16. javagirl1 says:

    I remember being at Hethrow airport to come back to the states with a quarter of pot in my bra, and they had dogs sniffing all the luggage. I thought I was going to pass out from fear. Somehow the dogs didn’t smell it and I never did it again!

  17. Codzilla says:

    I read/heard somewhere that her father actually taught her how to shoot heroin. I don’t even know what to say about this rumor if it’s true. Just beyond comprehension.

    javagirl: I guess Heathrow could use some help in the drug-detecting department, because I also managed to smuggle some pot through their security. Many years ago, I stashed one small bud (wrapped in toilet paper) in my pocket and actually DROPPED it just after passing through the metal detector. Nobody noticed when I quickly bent down to pick it up, but I got so paranoid that I immediately went to the bathroom and swallowed the whole thing! I still get shit for that to this day.

  18. Linda says:

    They say once a junkie, always a junkie but I didn’t truly believe it until now.

    This is just shocking.

  19. Jen (the other one) says:

    This poor woman has been struggling with drug addiction for almost 30 years…more than half her life. My heart goes out to her, it really does. Unfortunately, just because you stop doing drugs, doesn’t mean you’re no longer a drug addict, and many addicts end up relapsing at some point during their recovery. Sad…

  20. DogRunner says:

    She looks like Heidi Fleiss.

  21. J says:

    Daisy, Back off Druggie! Yeah, I only hope you get busted, you’re a total ass!

  22. RAN says:

    J — Canada and Mexico have “drugs” that are, without a doubt, much cheaper and easily accessible than anything you can get in the states. You can walk across the border in Mexico and come back with a months supply of antibiotic…. Here in the states, it’s like pulling teeth to get a diagnosis, let alone proper medication – unless you tell the doctor what you need. Let’s be real, if you or your family needed it and you could get to it, why not?

    As to recreational drugs, I honestly think marijuana should be legalized for health reasons and why not? Cigarettes and liquor kill, and could kill others (IE: secondhand smoke, drunk driving), so why does the government choose to withhold pot? It’s no worse than anything else in my opinion.

  23. daisy424 says:

    J: πŸ˜› πŸ˜› πŸ˜› πŸ˜› πŸ˜› πŸ˜› πŸ˜› πŸ˜› πŸ˜› πŸ˜›

    Edit* Thanks Codzilla.

  24. Codzilla says:

    J: Hate to break it to you, but you’re the ass. Making assumptions about someone’s lifestyle based on one anecdote (over the internet, no less) is just plain ignorant. So do us all a favor and piss off, OK?

  25. Codzilla says:

    Daisy: Always happy to help. πŸ˜‰

  26. gg says:

    Hey I thought it was interesting. Do tell, Daisy.

  27. princess says:

    Listen J, Stop judging

    Maybe Daisy has Glaucoma.

  28. czarina says:

    RAN “Canada and Mexico have ‘drugs’ that are, without a doubt much cheaper and easily accessable than anything you can get in the states…here in the States it is like pulling teeth to get a diagnosis…”

    Hey, I’m from Canada–where are we hiding the cheaper drugs, ’cause I just spent $200.00 on prescription meds for my kids and I could use some WAY cheaper drugs!!
    Actually, what you were saying about getting a diagnosis in the States…the same is true in Canada. We are lucky enough to have universal health care, but we lose a LOT of doctors to the US (where they can make more money) and a lot of people can’t even get a family doctor anymore. We have hospitals that basically have NO doctors working there (mostly in rural areas). It’s a tough situation. I had a friend who had to fight for a year to get properly diagnosed (then nearly died in surgury!!)

  29. lunachick says:

    The “War on Drugs” is an abysmal failure…UNLESS you profit from it, in which case it’s a nonstop gravy train. Doubt we’d need all those private jails of we weren’t giving multi-year sentences to users and small time dealers.

    Kinda like the OTHER kind of war profiteering. Millons displaced, hundreds of thousands maimed or killed, and the fat Halliburton cats keep getting fatter.

    Going back on-topic…I do hope MacKenzie Philips gets proper treatment – she’s obviously in a bad place and I wish her the best.

  30. RAN says:

    Czarina, I think I stand corrected because you remind me of the difficulty Canadians experience with the health care. Even though I work in the states, I manage people across the country, Mexico and Canada, so this is where I thought I got my info from. However, you remind me… one of my Canadian gals always came into work sick – not just a garden variety cold, but pretty sick. I asked her one day why she didn’t see a doctor and she explained the situation you’ve just outlined. She was on a waiting list for a doctor to interview HER, whereas here in the States, we pick the doctor we like best. It IS a totally different world and I must apologize for speaking out of turn. The good news is that she finally found a doctor who would take her so she could be assured of better health.

    You’ve just reminded me of one of my worst airport experiences — getting out of Canada πŸ™‚ I thought I’d never get home! They were very nice, but serious indeed and I was put through everything but the strip search. Can’t imagine what triggered it (maybe it was the ‘cheap’ drugs I was smuggling πŸ˜† ) I kid…I kid… I’ve never bought drugs/medication in Canada, but the folks who work for me indicated that medication was inexpensive,so I thought I had the inside scoop.

  31. czarina says:

    RAN; maybe I’m the only one who doesn’t have the “inside scoop”. It wouldn’t surprise me!
    You reminded me of my favorite customs jokes (have I told this one here before? If so, bear with me, my joke repitoire is limited!!)
    Anyway, two Canadians are driving to the States and at US Customs the officer comes out, looks over their passports and asks them sternly, “Do either one of you have a gun?” The Canadians, shocked, say, “No, officer, of course not!” So the Customs officer pulls out a gun and hands it to them, “Then you’ll probably need this.”
    heh, heh, heh!!!
    Seriously, though, Canada has been (fairly) criticized because so many illegal immigrents (including terrorists, and criminals) get to the States through Canada because our own immigration is so embarassingly lax.
    I think, based on a lot of anger from the U.S. Canada is trying to tighten up security. Or else you just got someone on a bad day!!LOL

  32. RAN says:

    Cz, Loved the airport joke! That’s a perfect intro to some of the first places you’ll see as you leave Canada for the U.S. No offense to some of the areas, but NYC, Detroit,etc… depending on where you’re being routed – guns would be appropriate!

    London Ontario airport – not friendly! I tried to joke with the woman but then she acted like she was going to arrest me if I opened my mouth again πŸ˜† What a mess! I was kinda freaked but after the pat down and the dumping out of my suitcases, they let me get on the plane πŸ˜‰

  33. czarina says:

    RAN; okay, London Ontario airport says it all. Rinky dink airport with an inferiority complex. Angry security people who really have NOTHING to do.
    It was all bad luck…
    FLY PEARSON!!

  34. J says:

    Codzilla, no, freakin’ BRAGGING about smuggling drugs is ignorant. Maybe in your world, that’s acceptable.
    If someone is arrogant enough to blantantly brag about how they smuggle drugs, you deserve to be judged! Get real! Now….you PISS OFF!

  35. vdantev says:

    dammit not again πŸ™

  36. 33deg-mason says:

    J, you really shouldn’t go off the Prozac again. You’re foaming at the mouth already ….

    Oh horror! someone smoked some POT!!!!!

  37. gg says:

    J. honey. We’re just exchanging anecdotes here, not forming a “pot party”. Please calm the heck down. Really, if you don’t like the atmosphere, there are a lot of other sites you can admonish people in, or glory in Celine Dion or what have you.

  38. daisy424 says:

    With the exception of J, your posts are hysterical. Thanks for the amusing comments and the loyalty. πŸ™‚

    J it is obvious that you are singling me out, your odious personal attack on me is absurd.
    Again, I wasn’t arrogantly bragging, just stating a fact. Am I speaking slowly enough for your archaic brain to comprehend?

    There is another thread about Sarah S. where posters are openly discussing their drug use, yet you focus on an incident that happened years ago in my past.
    This leads me to believe you have a delusional grudge against me. You should seek psychiatric help for your rancorous thoughts for someone you have never met, like Lola. It is truly a sick mind that hides behind a generic moniker, attacking someone when you don’t know them. Makes you feel smug, self rightous about yourself, huh?
    CB should ban this mailcious poster for her/his unwarranted personal attack.

    GG; I would enjoy telling you how, but if you scroll up, another post has the same concept. I never brought anything into the US.

    Princess; Your comment made me laugh out loud, thanks for the back up!

    BTW, Good Morining everyone πŸ˜‰

  39. geronimo says:

    Daisy & others with a sense of humour:

    There’s this brilliant range of greeting cards which includes the foll:

    “I DON’T LIKE PEOPLE WHO TAKE DRUGS….

    …customs men, for example.”

  40. Rob says:

    I think all of you need to stop the personal attacks.

    Mackenzie has had a long past with her drug use, I thought she had been clean for many years. It’s just very sad.

  41. Kaiser says:

    TEAM DAISY. πŸ˜€

  42. daisy424 says:

    Geronimo, can you get those cards on-line? They sound like my kind of humor.

    Thanks Kaiser πŸ˜€

  43. geronimo says:

    Daisy, leave it with me, I’ve got some of the range somewhere so will try and track down for you. Will post here if I find a link/source.

    Another one:
    I read that drinking is really bad for you…so I gave up reading. 8)

  44. Orangejulius says:

    Love the jokes! Missoula airport was another rinky dink little operation that made me go through me flamin’ cosmetic bag 3 times and practically strip-searched me. Too much time on their hands and not enough to do.

    Geronimo, I’m still mortified about the ‘ginger’ comment…

  45. geronimo says:

    OJ, it made my day, seriously, laughed all the way to work about it!! See my message to you on the Michael Lohan thread.

  46. Bobby the K says:

    It looks to me like she wanted to get caught.
    It looks stupid on the outside, but is probably a big cry for help.

    And as far as the famous ‘War on Drugs’ goes: Drugs won, a long time ago.

  47. JaundiceMachine says:

    Ha!

    Daisy, Codzilla – I came back home from India with a couple of hash roaches. It was completely by accident. I thought I had given away the last of our stash about a week before we headed home – had I known they were around, I would have smoked them before the 27+ hour flight! I found them as I was rummaging through my carry on bag for the gifts we bought for my inlaws. When I found those suckers, my stomach was doing flip-flops. Yea! for the hidden stash, but holy smokes that was close!

  48. daisy424 says:

    Jaundice, that’s hysterical. We never tried to bring it back to the States, too afraid of customs here. Those dogs are too good.
    27 hours? Shit I thought Amsterdam was a long flight, that’s more than a day.

  49. Codzilla says:

    Jaundice: I bet after the flip flops subsided, it was nice to have a little TOKEn from your trip. OK, that was a little corny, but it’s been a long day. πŸ˜•

  50. Bodhi says:

    πŸ˜† I’ve been laughing my ass off reading this thread!!

    Ok, first: This makes me really sad. The Mamas & the Papas were my very first favorite band (I’ve always been a hippie). I know full well the drug induced haze that Mac grew up in & it kills me. Her parents, amazing musicians they were/are, set her up for her addictions.

    However, as the daughter, grand-daughter, niece & fiance of addicts, I swear to God, a person has to WANT to be clean. And they have to want to be clean more than anything in the world. Lip service doesn’t mean shit.

  51. Snowblood says:

    She has such sad, sad eyes in that header photo. Seriously, if you put your hand over her face so you only see her eyes, pure, deep sadness comes right through those pretty brown eyes of hers. πŸ˜₯

    But, her teeth are driving me bananas. She’s GOT to do something about the teeth. I know it’s petty, but really – MacKenzie! Buy some of that $10 5-minute tooth gel from CVS, even THAt will make a huge difference!

    She must’ve been high already to be running around the airport with her pockets full of baggies and balloons and her carry-on bag full of needles. Either that, and/or she really DID want to get busted, like Bobby the K said.

  52. beverly says:

    Drew is already off the wagon. She drinks drinks drinks and smoke pot pot pot.

    Poor McKenzie, if she wants I’ll be her sponsor.

  53. gg says:

    Jumpin on the DAISY TRAIN … :::blares loud horn::: :mrgreen:

    “We never tried to bring it back to the States, too afraid of customs here. Those dogs are too good. 27 hours? Shit I thought Amsterdam was a long flight, that’s more than a day.”
    πŸ˜† πŸ˜† YUP!!! you said it.
    P.S. Meet me in Amsterdam

  54. daisy424 says:

    gg; All Aboard. πŸ˜›

    Your posts in this thread make me laugh out loud. That’s the way it should be.
    When we flew in from Paris to Detroit, this little customs dog was sniffing everyones luggage. The pup got a ‘hit’ on an elderly womans bags. When they made her unpack, right there and then, they discovered that she had smuggled fruit pastry, not drugs :mrgreen:

  55. gg says:

    sweet? πŸ˜† πŸ˜† πŸ˜†

    8)

  56. trvlbug529 says:

    BODY CAVITIES PEOPLE!

    Dog’s can’t smell what’s inside the body and TSA certainly can’t see there.

    Just my two cents. Daisy and I think alike.

    Team Daisy!

  57. daisy424 says:

    trvlbug529;
    Your post cracked me up also, it left me with a mental image that makes me squirm on my chair. 😯 Yikes.

    But believe it or not, that’s not how we did it. πŸ˜‰

  58. johnny says:

    Daisy…Girl you started something with that smuggling thing, and I love it! Good to see people who still have a sense of humor, unlike j, and enjoy sharing it! Spread the wealth, oops, I mean the humor!

  59. robzy says:

    daisy your cute, and cool,

  60. KT says:

    I just want to go on record sayin’ I’m on team Daisy. You go girlfriend. Some people take things (like a little pot) too seriously. Alcohol and prescription drugs do far worse damage than pot would ever do. I only have one question, is it really true that the dogs can’t smell what’s in the body? Anyone have any evidence of that?

  61. Avinash says:

    Hey i know some one who is going to do this to try and get hash from India to the usa. He plans on making table tennis size balls with the hash. Cover it in cling film a few times. Then cover the entire ball in a specially made paste. The paste is peanut butter mixed with coffee powder and glue. As the inner layer of the cling film protects the hash no damage will be done to the goods. The now rolled, pasted and dry balls coated with the paste will be wrapped in a Ferrer rocher chocolate wrapper. And placed back in the box of chocolates. Then wipe everything down with rubbing alcohol off course wearing gloves the whole time. Now place this sealed box of chocolates in a smell proof zip lock bag and seal it. Then place that bag with all other luggage in a big vacuum seal bag and sealed. he plans on sending this baggage through his check in when he plans to fly. This should be able to beat the x rays and the dogs. Any one here care to comment, something productive and not state obvious opinions. peace!

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