Former child star Mackenzie Phillips made plenty of headlines last year when she came out with the news that she had an over 10 year incestual relationship with her father that she deemed “consensual”. Phillips, now 50, revealed the disturbing story last September that she had a relationship with her now-deceased biological father, John Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas, that started when she was just 19 and continued until she was 29. There was a lot of drugs involved and Mackenzie was an addict up until recently. She was promoting a book when she dropped this news andmany people accused her of using the shocking story to make money. Others praised Mackenzie for coming out with the uncomfortable details of a personal tragedy in a way that might help other victims of incest.
Now Mackenzie is talking again, and I’m kind of relieved that it took her five months to come back on the scene. She may have been waiting for all of her plastic surgery and dental work to get completed, though. The woman has a completely new face that cost $50,000 and her teeth are capped so much that she had trouble closing her mouth. She was on Good Morning America today to clear the air on her classification of the incest as “consensual,” saying that she’s since been schooled by other victims that there is no such thing as consensual incest, no matter your age. She also discussed her sister Chynna Phillips’s recent stint in rehab for anxiety, and said it may be connected to her revelations last year. Chynna was one of the only family members to publicly support Mackenzie after she went public with the story.
Mackenzie Phillips showed off her new look Wednesday on Good Morning America, and the ex-One Day at a Time actress did not hold back as usual, talking about her recent surgical makeover, the backlash she received after her incest revelation last year and her sister Chynna’s recent woes.
RadarOnline.com has the clip of Phillips — sporting $50,000 of Botox, Restylane, laser treatments, dental upgrades and hair extensions — saying she has “no desire to erase anything” and that she’s “really happy.”
Phillips, 50, also touched on the controversial confession she made in her 2009 book, High on Arrival, that her father John Phillips molested her at 18.
“I’ve learned from thousands of survivors across several continents… that there is no such thing as consensual incest, because of the inherent power,” she said. “I do not believe [my father] had malicious intent… I believe he was a man who was ravaged by drugs and alcohol.”
She said she wouldn’t connect the dots between her revelations and the recent problems of her sister Chynna, who was entered into a rehab program last month.
“I would stop short of saying that this is why Chynna ended up in rehab for anxiety. I love Chynna. And I support her recovery as she supports mine,” she said.
[From Radar Online]
Mackenzie and her giant teeth also addressed the issue of a potential “curse of the child star” in the wake of Corey Haim’s untimely death. She said she didn’t think there was a curse because “any cross section of a demographic whether it be child stars or kids who live in Miami… I think there are a lot of things push a lot of people for a lot of reasons to take a lot of drugs.”
When asked why she didn’t say silent, Mackenzie said “right now, a child is being raped.” She also started crying. My heart goes out to her and you can see that she’s trying to move on with her life and get past her years of drug abuse. If she feels better having new teeth, hair and a new face then good for her. I think she looked better before, but getting plastic surgery is a more positive coping response then shooting up. Her face looks weird but it’s not as jacked as it could be.
More of Mackenzie’s interview will be in this week’s In Touch.
Images are screencaps from Good Morning America. Before and after image courtesy of GMA.
Why do people think puffy lips and SURPRISE!! eyes are attractive? Stop!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not sure why but I actually think she looks better in the pic on the left.
I wonder why she is suddenly resurfacing after all these yrs out of the spotlight.
@dee- I also think the left picture looks a ton better… I know she hasn’t REALLY resurfaced- she was on the rehab show with Dr. drew on VH1… and while I know this will show my age, I never knew who she was until that show….
still looks like caca.
go away already.
I think she looks better in the shot on the left.
I don’t understand her and don’t want to. Does anyone?
She looked better au natural, but I also feel sorry for her. I was not inclined to like her but then I saw a couple episodes of Celeb Rehab with Dr. Drew, and I have to say her personality comes off as a caring, motherly type. She didn’t seem to seek out drama,and she doesn’t seem to have any of those drug addled personality traits that make me cringe. She seemed to really want to get help and I was totally pulling for her to find some peace and happiness in her life.
Thumbs up for staying positive about her actions and words!
Nobody cares, go away
When she was on celeb rehab, she didn’t let them air anything about her and her dad. They showed some instances where she wrote something down and gave it Dr. Drew, but he did a voice-over explaining how she wasn’t comfortable discussing the situation at that point. To me that gives her a certain degree of credibility, especially when you see the way she acts and treats people on that show. She’s a little bit of a mouthy know it all, but she seems be sincere. Also her chicklet teeth are presumably to replace her meth teeth, so it’s actually quite an improvement!
she’s creepy. really, really creepy.
i think shes so brave..God bless her so much
I like her before pic better…
If she’s moving on, she needs to go back into obscurity and STFU.
“there is no such thing as consensual incest, no matter your age”
Sorry but, she was old enough to know that what she was doing was wrong.
I’m no expert, but i think she was weak and insecure and a pleaser.
I dunno, she continued it until 29, so she was ok with it.
Wow! I totally disagree with “Toe”…parent’s can be extremely manipulative and controlling to their children and I think that had a lot to do with why she continued with it not because “She was ok with it” That’s a pretty sick thought, like the kind perverts think of when they are abusing children, or raping women, cause deep down the victim is really ok with it right? No, I don’t think so!
Wow. There’s a fair amount of negativity towards her in these comments. I do think she looked better before her surgeries in that photograph, but having seen her makeupless on Celebrity Rehab, homegirl is rugged. She doesn’t look that different in the after photo, except around the eyes and, or course, her extensions. If that makes her feel better about herself, then great. I don’t think she went as far as some celebs, and she still pretty much looks like herself.
As far as the incest thing, I get what she’s talking about. Even though she was technically and adult, her father had been a drug abuser for years, and she became an addict quite young. Very little about her childhood was normal or healthy, including her relationship with her Dad. She didn’t have the sense of right and wrong that most of us have, and her father was always inappropriate in his attention. I am certainly creeped out by this whole thing, but I have a fantastic father who raised me well. I would never judge her, because I have no idea how I would have turned out or what I would have done had my father been like Papa Phillips.
I wish her serenity and peace, one day at a time.
@MaiGirl…I second everything you’ve said! To say that Mac comes from a dysfunctional family is an understatement, and she herself has said it’s a miracle she’s even alive. I give her a lot of credit for trying to get her life in order by dealing with her demons and addictions, and wish her well.
My heart goes out to her. She speaks for so many incest and addiction survivors and is an example that the worst can be overcome.
For those who judge, her own father shot her up with drugs! He was so destructive to her because of his own addictions.
The he took her as his “mistress”. This is seriously sick stuff.
If it makes her feel better to have some stuff done,then good for her.
Why does teefers McPhilips have to drag kids from Miami into this hot mess? Leave us kids from Miami out of this. We still haven’t lived down Sonny and Ricardo. Damn.
She does NOT need to STFU! Good for her for bringing this horrible topic into the open. This taboo topic should be discussed, and people who are victims of it need to feel OK to speak out and get help. Victims of sexual abuse (especially incestuous sexual abuse) have been silenced for too long. That is one of the first things their abusers encourage–“Don’t tell anyone. It’s a secret. If you tell, no one will believe you.” etc., etc…. F@#$ staying silent!
I COMPLETELY DISAGREE with the whole “incest is never consentual despite your age” line. Mackenzie was an adult at the time, and even admitted in her book that she came to like the sex with her father over the years. She even got pregnant! i.e. Didn’t use protection when having sex with her own father!!!! She wants us to believe that she was somehow too young or naieve at 19 to know at least not do that@3! Her statement, somehow linking her own adult incest to that of a helpless, defensless child-victim of incestual rape is dispicable. Now I see why her family was so upset with her: Mackenzie take responsiblitly for your part in this!! What happened was disgusting and horrible, but you yourself said that the sex was NEVER against your will. Shame on you.
Whatever the story may be,my heart goes on to her. Poor woman.
Why can’t she work this out in private instead of getting a bunch of plastic surgery and then approaching Planet Earth with it?
Mackenzie is a survivor of a crime that robs a person of trust and dignity. It started with rape, and eventually she convinced herself she was ok with it as a coping mechanism, high on drugs. That is NOT a consensual relationship.
Her father first shot her up with coke when she was under 16 – does that sound like a normal father-daughter relationship to anyone? Does that sound like she was old enough to “know better”?!
Her father controlled her life. She was under the influence of coke and heroin for more than 20 years.
And for the people saying she should shut up – YOU shut up. How disgusting that you would want to silence a survivor of rape an incest. You are the problem. Go live in your fairy tale world where 1/3 of all children don’t witness domestic violence, where more than half of those children are not abused themselves. Continue to plug your ears and sing “lalala” while vulnerable children and women are being raped and hurt and violated by the people who are supposed to love and protect them. While those victims are shamed into silence, where they should just take it. Just keep on denying, that’ll help. Jesus.
If that’s all she had done, I wouldn’t even call that “surgery”. Restylane and botox are injections that later are absorbed, and the laser was probably just skin resurfacing/peel. The dental work was needed.
Also I saw her on Dr. Drew. She is an amazing woman and I stand up on a chair and applaud her for speaking out about this very painful and difficult subject to help others.
First of all, I agree, photo on left much better. Secondly, I feel sorry for the life she led and for what happened to her but I really think she needs to stop talking about it now. Anyone who really WANTS to know the horrible details can read the book. Others should not have to turn their TV off or to another channel to avoid hearing about this anymore. I mean there really IS such as a thing as TMI!
Mistral said:
“She does NOT need to STFU! Good for her for bringing this horrible topic into the open. This taboo topic should be discussed, and people who are victims of it need to feel OK to speak out and get help. Victims of sexual abuse (especially incestuous sexual abuse) have been silenced for too long. That is one of the first things their abusers encourage–”Don’t tell anyone. It’s a secret. If you tell, no one will believe you.” etc., etc…. F@#$ staying silent!”
Amen to that! Thank you Mistral and all of the other posters supporting Mackenzie.
I find it very odd that she stayed quite for so many years, then her father dies, and she comes out with a book. Can anyone else confirm or refute this story? No.
If this truly happened, I’m glad she’s getting whatever she needs to “move on and be happy”, and I hope this story can help others. I just find her whole story, and the way she’s handled it, very odd indeed.
I think she looks amazing and I hope she continues to speak out about her abuse. Survivors of something as horrible as incest NEED to know that they are not alone, and not to blame for anything that happened to them. I can only imagine the horror, pain and shame she’s gone through and I wish her the absolute best in life. I think she is a really strong, awesome person (loved her on Celeb Rehab) and she will keep healing. Sometimes helping others is the best thing you can do to help yourself….
I’m sorry – I think what happened to her is horrible and I am not bashing on her. Of course, she needs to talk about this but she doesn’t need to do in for all the world to hear. She has already made this unfortunate reality public, thereby giving others abused the understanding that they are not alone and they CAN TELL! But how does it help to tell continue to talk to the nation or to the world. Tell your family, tell your clergy if you have one, tell your friends and your therapist – assuming you have one. You will find supporters there to help you – not to discuss you. And if you want to help others, talk to others who have been abused. And if writing a book helps, do it. Tell your story and hope it helps others. But it is NOT a necessary part of healing to go on national TV after you’ve done all of the above and continue to talk about it. That said, I have no ill will for her – in fact feel compassion and I do wish her the best.
She was an adult for a good number of years while this was happening…if she didn’t like it, why didn’t she move away from her dad? Leave the state? Tell a cop? Tell a therapist? I really don’t have much sympathy for her…and really, there’s no evidence that anything that she described ever took place. So we have to take her word for it. Which I have to admit, I have a tough time doing because it’s obvious she has multiple screws loose.
@Patrice
are you crazy? shame on you actually! incest surviors are manipulated and conditioned and brainwashed. if it starts off young, by the time the child is an adult it is basically Stockholm syndrome. How can you shame Mackenzie, she is trying to salvage her life so basically you are an idiot for judging her plight.
Oh, Patrice and GatsbyGal – that is just awful. You should think a little harder about what you’ve said. It’s just wrong.
i think people ought to give her a break she is doing her best. i think she has been very sincere and can’t imagine anyone lying about what she has gone through even in hollywoood
I was a bit annoyed by her trying to make her situation seem like it was child molestation. I still consider her an adult that made a lot of bad choices that lead to her possibly being manipulated but not a victim of child molestation. I respect her a lot more after seeing her on celeb rehab. I think after seeing so many ungrateful fake celebs it was refreshing to see someone who’s been famous most of their life tear up just because someone painted their bedroom walls.
She’s a life-long conniver. The more naive you are, the better/more believable she sounds.
First, the crap about she had “difficulties” with the word “consensual” as she put/wrote in the book … -that’s a revisionist’s lie (also watch her expression, telltale).
She knew the definition of the word and she was an adult. Trying to back out of responsibility.
Then the “it has been very difficult for me to reconcile the woman I was with the woman I am” … it was just MONTHS ago she was “the woman she WAS”, -she’s trying to distance herself, as if it’s not her at all (this is a classic con trick).
THEN, using the ultimate con-trick(s) (distraction)(and emotional subterfuge) when asked why she came forward “now” -the conniver immediately launches into “a child is being raped now”, “ooh, another child is being raped … so what should I do …”, not only avoiding answering directly, she rewrites/revises her actual motive/rationale to make herself come off as noble, a hero, like this was altruistic on her part.
She’s disgusting because she’s a con-jobbing liar. She did it for the money and attention and has leeched onto incest survivor groups to assimilate her rank deeds to that of her being a victim (and a savior to victims). She was an adult, not a child.
I hope she enjoys her “new” face to go along with her new faux-reality -one’s as fake as the other.
I think someone else said this before, but she looks like one of those “purebred” dogs that have the crazy eyes that are big and droop. The eyelids don’t seem to cover the eyeballs properly. Or something like that.
So the dad says “let’s do it,” and the daughter says “Fine,” now that is consent.
Just because other people who claim to be victims, don’t agree doesn’t mean she is the same. Her face is all messed up and her teeth look bad. I guess she went to a discount dentist. I’d like to know who did it ’cause I don’t want anyone to go to a dentist that does such crummy work.
Well – i don’t think the first time was concensual – however, i think every time after that pretty much was – if it wasn’t, then why did she not tell anyone about it?
She’s just trying to make money to fix that already-ugly-face of hers. What a loser
There are people out there who really have to live with things that happend in their childhood and this skank is just riding the money wave. She has no idea how traumatic it’s been for real victims of rape.
@ Patrice: i AGREE with you!
It just proves that you can be a hideous teenager with a horrible personality and yet become a star if you have connections. “One Day at a Time” was a far better show when she was in rehab.
As far as the incest thing is concerned, no sane man would jump his ugly daughter while married to Michelle Phillips.
Popcorny, once again you are a shining beacon of wisdom. I could not agree with you more!
All I can say to all of you who have horrible, negative and mean things to say about Mackenzie and her speaking out about what happened to her; you should be ashamed of yourselves. Anyone who has ever been in any kind of abusive relationship knows that it’s not as easy as “just walking away or leaving”. All victims of abuse are manipulated and emotionally broken down so much so that the abuse feels normal and at times, even wanted. As sick as it is, it’s sad but true. I think all Mackenzie wanted out of coming forward and telling her story is to show others who have been in similar situations or in any abusive situation, that it is ok to speak out about it and begin their own healing process. I think it also may empower those who are maybe still in a bad situation to see that you can rise above it and get out, move on, and have a productive life. I think she is beyond courageous for doing what she has done and it couldn’t have been easy for her to come forward and tell EVERY detail of her abuse. So I say, Kudos to you Mackenzie, AND I think she looks great too.
For the people who think she is a con woman/jerk and that what happened to her involving her father raping her, wait till it happens to your family. What does it matter if she was an adult or not? She was still raped by someone who promised to care for her, her entire life, her father. Isn’t that what dads do?