Stepmoms Deny Phillips' Incest Claims

By PopEater Staff Posted Sep 24th 2009 06:16AM

'One Day at a Time' star Mackenzie Phillips has made shocking revelations in a new memoir, claiming that she and her father carried on a 10-year incestuous relationship. The actress says that she broke off the relationship with her dad, The Mamas and the Papas singer John Phillips, when she became pregnant; Phillips told Oprah Winfrey, "I was in a relationship with my son's father as well... I did not know who the father was. The implications, the reality of that... I had an abortion and I never let him touch me again."

Not true, say two of John Phillips' ex-wives. According to an Access Hollywood report, both Genevieve Waite Phillips and Michelle Phillips condemn the allegations as pure fiction.

"I am stunned by Mackenzie's terrible allegations about her father," Genevieve Phillips, who was married to John during the time of the alleged affair, said in a statement to Oprah on Wednesday. "I would often complain to John about her overly familiar attitude towards him and he would tell me that that was just her way. John was a good man who had the disease of alcoholism and drug addiction. He was incapable, no matter how drunk or drugged he was, of having such a relationship with his own child."

The Mamas and the Papas singer Michelle Phillips, who married John in 1962, claims that Mackenzie revealed the affair in 1997 - but told her stepmom she was joking. "She called me back and said, 'You know I'm joking,'" Michelle told The Hollywood Reporter. "I said it wasn't funny. Mackenzie said, 'I guess we have different senses of humor.'"

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=728389&pid=728388&uts=1253715611

http://www.popeater.com/mm_track/popeater/movies/?s_channel=us.moviespop&s_account=aolnews,aolsvc&omni=1&ke=1

http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf

Shocking Celebrity Tell-Alls

Mackenzie Phillips dropped a real bombshell in her new memoir. See what other stars have shocked the world with their autobiographical revelations.

Jeffrey Mayer, WireImage

Shocking Celebrity Tell-Alls

'Little House on the Prairie' star Melissa Gilbert's tell-all memoir accused actress Shannen Doherty of breaking up Gilbert's marriage to Bo Brinkman - when Shannen was just a teen.

Amazon.com

'Brady Bunch' child star Maureen McCormick revealed her troubled past in 'Here's The Story,' including a serious addiction to cocaine and Quaaludes, bouts of depression and bulimia, and an on-again, off-again romantic relationship with her on-screen brother Barry Williams.

Amazon.com

George Hamilton make some shocking revelations in 'Don't Mind if I Do' - like the claim that he lost his virginity at age 12... to his stepmother. He wrote that the pair rekindled their sexual relationship years later, after the death of his father.

Amazon.com

James Frey sold 'A Million Little Pieces' as a memoir, and while the book was filled with brutal tales of addiction and degradation, the real shocker was that 'A Million Little Pieces' wasn't actually a true story.

Amazon.com

In his book 'Growing Up Brady,' Barry Williams claimed to have gone on a date with TV-mom Florence Henderson and to have hooked up with his 'Brady Bunch' sister, Maureen McCormick. Happily-married Henderson has publicly clarified their date, saying that regardless of Williams' romantic feelings, their outing was platonic to her.

Amazon.com

America's darling Mary Tyler Moore admitted a years-long battle with alcoholism in her 1996 tell-all 'After All.'

Amazon.com

Actress Mackenzie Phillips dropped the father of all bombshells - she admits to a long-term sexual affair with her own dad, Mamas and the Papas singer John Phillips, who died in 2001.

Jeffrey Mayer, WireImage

"John was a bad parent, and a drug addict. But [slept with] his daughter? If she thinks it's true, why isn't she with a good psychiatrist on a couch?" Michelle said. "I think it's unconscionable that Oprah would let her do her show. I have every reason to believe it's untrue. Oprah should be more judicious about who she has on her show.

She added, "Mackenzie has a lot of mental illness. She's had a needle stuck up her arm for 'Rehab' and now she writes a book. The whole thing is timed."

Mackenzie's other family members are speaking out though and seem to support the claims that the "consensual" sexual relationship really did happen. Mackenzie's sister, Chynna Phillips recalls the moment when she found out about the affair.

"She said, 'I don't know why, but I just really felt the need to call you and tell you something that I think you need to know.' And she went on to tell me that she had had an incestuous relationship with our dad for about 10 years," Chynna told Usmagazine.com.

"Somebody could have dropped a piano on my head and I probably wouldn't have felt it. But I knew it was true. I mean, who in their right mind would make such a claim if it wasn't true?" she adds of her reaction.

Oprah is standing by the interview -- revealing the show did a lot of research about the scandal to make sure it was true.

John and Genevieve's son, Tamerlane Phillips, did not say if he believes the actress' claims or not, but noted his family's troubled history.

"My family is and always will be a decrepit bowl of dog urine compared to Nityananda of Ganeshpuri," Tamerlane told the New York Post. "That is how great Nityananda is." The Indian yogi died in 1961. "Worship Nityananda, not the Phillips family. Nityananda can protect you," he said.

Tags: genevieve phillips, GenevievePhillips, mackenzie phillips, MackenziePhillips, michelle phillips, MichellePhillips

Comments

(331)

Thursday 24 September

By ddb

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

I love how the stepmother pretty much confirms the relationship in her denial.

By Nineetsa

great observation ddb

By Starfiresflame

first off I know what its like to go thru incest, went thru it from the time I was 10 till I was 18yrs old and moved out of the house. These 2 step mothers are in denial, I know what its like to have no one believe you, to try and reach out for help and no one there to help you, I think there needs to be some education into drug addiction, you dont just do drugs for the sake of doing them, you go down that path because something drove you to want to get rid of the pain, to self medicate, I believe she went thru incest, of course everyone says "omg,not john, he was an alcoholic and drug addict, but never would do that to his own daughter" DUH, excuse me, my father was well known, doesnt mean he couldnt be an abuser. More power to you Oprah for giving her the opportunity to open up and make others realize,it does and can happen to anyone.

By vcrozas

Stepmom confirms it in her denial....What a dumbazzzz like so many woman. Mac has been much to bizarre not to have been traumatized...she has been living up to her fathers leadership and expectations....someone should have just shot the sick perp and sad thing is kids still love parents like this....been there done that...PEACE

By Soho

I agree ddb, just what I was thinking..."I would often complain to John about her overly familiar attitude towards him and he would tell me that that was just her way." Bingo!!!

By jessica

Both of them do, if you think about it!

By yolie

I know, right? Sad.

By ktzefr

ddb is right; the denial and "familiarity" remark pretty much confirm it, I would say. It is not uncommon at all for incestuous relationships to be going on in households where the rest of the family is pretty much oblivious -- or "choose" to be oblivious because it's a tough, sad thing to face. The moms need to at least listen for a bit, look back, and see if all of their own puzzle pieces fit.

By kimberly

Yes I caught that as well. I believe the stepmom is saying that it didn't happen because of course it makes her look bad. She was the co-parent and she didn't see that it was going on.

By ALMA

YOU KNOW I CAN RELATE AND TRULY BELIEVE MACKENZIE PHILIPS STORY. MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND MYSELF ARE A PRODUCT OF INCEST I'M 37 YEARS OLD NOW MY MOTHER HAD A ROMANTIC RELATION WITH HER FATHER SINCE AGE 12 AND LIVED AS HUSBAND AND WIFE FOR YEARS UNTIL HE DIED. I WAS ALSO TORTURED AND SEXUALLY MOLESTED BY HIM AND NO-ONE KNEW ANYTHING

By Angel

Both stepmom's are say no no no . I think they just didn't see any signs cuz either they where on drugs or they can't belive that he would be doing his daughter and them aswell.

By Eric Roberts

Very well said.
And Michelle? I know Michelle - I'm going to email her right now. Everyone who doubts that Mac experienced this trauma is traumatizing her and all abused kids with their denial. Big shame on them.

By mar

It's funny how they seem to be denying anything happened, but completely confirming it. She was overly familiar with him, because she was sleeping with him. And she revealed the affair but then took it back, because it made her look bad. Wow... brain sergery.... 2+2=4 ha ha ...

Get over it. It happened. Now that he has passed she feels the need to spread it out to the world... and gain a little more fame/exposure while she reveales this secret to everyone and makes herself heal in a sense. Yeah Therepy behind closed doors would never have helped. There's not enough paparazi, interviews, and online stories about that.

By SeaJay

Sounds like they are all nuts to me. A decrepit bowl of dog urine? Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh Kayyyyyyyyyyyy. And you thought your family had problems.........

By Indio

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Why would you go on national TV to talk about this - for what purpose - sensationalism - Consensual 19 yr old and Dad - both druggies - I have no sympathy for her - it's not like she was a 5 yr old kid - hell didn't she get busted a year ago for drugs. She is just as sick as her dad..

By Lynne

Well said.
Shame on these 2 grownups who let down Mackenzie when all she needed was someone to believe her.
Of course she recanted her story to Michelle because this "grownup" she went to for support doubted her story.
Also the fact they didn't help her with the drug abuse likely stems from the fact they were stoned too.
Should she have written the story? Of course whatever it takes for her to heal is the right choice.

By tara

If they admit it, even to themselves, they have to admit they did nothing to stop it. They are just in CYA mode now.

By Time Served

The Famous Hollywood World has more secrets then we could imagine (Michael Jackson/HELLO!)--out of embrassment, denial, wanting to uphold the proper self image, blah blah -- would you want to admit that you were married to a famous man that was having sex with his daughter for years? Come on now! True of Not -- Mackenzie needs THERAPY. We are all individuals with layers and years of 'stuff' and need to choose to resolve our inner battles in a manner that is comfortable for the individual. Would I go on national TV and reveal--maybe not. but if this is her way of healing who are we to judge. God knows her heart and intentions.

By Marcie

I noticed that, too. She said they had an "overly-familiar" relationship. Duh. If that's not a clue that something's fishy, I don't know what is.

By Debbie

Vote down Vote up Report this

I think it is true...I've watched Mackenzie Phillips my entire adult life struggle with drugs and identity issues...She looked better than ever on Oprah yesterday..between her drug use and her father's abadoment of her in most formidable years, she wanted to prove herself to him...Play in his band, do drugs with him, sleep with him....Both women just are in shock ....Michelle and Genevive both married John partly because he was famous....and now they are famous for him once more...sounds like they were both jealous of Mackenzie and for real reasons.

Page 1 of 17