Family reacts to Mackenzie Phillips' incest allegations: Chynna believes, Michelle and Bijou don't
Mackenzie Phillips' shocked half-sisters -- Bijou and Chynna Phillips -- are very upset. Her skeptical stepmother, Michelle Phillips, calls her a liar with mental and drug problems.
But Mackenzie is standing strong about her admission to a decade long sick sexual affair with her drug addicted father, John Phillips.
"If I've started a national dialogue that's going to help people face these issues, then I'm forever grateful," Phillips said Friday during a live broadcast of "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
Winfrey read comments on the show made by Michelle Phillips, John Phillips' former wife and a member of the Mamas and the Papas.
"I have every reason to believe it's untrue," Michelle has said, claiming that Mackenzie has a history of mental illness and drug abuse.
But Mackenzie stood her ground with Oprah.
"When Michelle found out I was writing the book, she vowed to do everything she could to discredit me. ... She's either protecting the Mamas and Papas brand or is having a textbook reaction: She's embarrassed, sweep it under the carpet, protect the abuser," Phillips told Winfrey.
Chynna Phillips appeared live with Winfrey and explained her mom's reaction. "It's not something that my mom wants plastered all over the papers."
Chynna admitted she wasn't thrilled about the incest allegation being public knowledge either. "Am I exceedingly joyful that my family secret that I told maybe my therapist, my husband and my very best friend in the whole word [is now public]? No."
However, she admits knowing for 12 years and says she believes Mac's claim.
But yet another Phillips sib, Bijou Phillips, who has NOT appeared on Oprah, is a disbeliever.
She's released a statement that says, in part: "When I was 13, Mackenzie told me that she had a consensual sexual relationship with our father. This news was confusing and scary, as I lived alone with my father since I was 3, I didn't know what to believe and it didn't help that shortly there after Mackenzie told me it didn't happen ... ."
What do you think?
Why did she Mackenzie tell Bijou and Michelle that it wasn't true? Was she trying to keep the peace in the family?
Maybe she just wasn't ready for the fierce family fallout.
More Mackenzie Dish:
John Phillips' pal Davy Jones: "If I'd known about it, I would have killed John"
Chynna and Mackenzie to appear on "Oprah" on Friday afternoon!
Michelle Phillips calls Mackenzie Phillips mentally ill.
Mackenzie Phillips claims that after her abortion, she never let her father touch her
Chynna Phillips believes Mackenzie Phillips is telling the truth.
MacKenzie talks to Oprah about her dad shooting her up with cocaine for the first time.
Photo: Bijou and Mackenzie Phillips. Credit: Getty Images
Interesting. According to news articles, Bijou spent time in foster care due to both parents drug use and John regained custody when she was in 3rd grade. Her brother Tamerlane was sent to boarding school. So, what is the actual story? Can't picture John taking her and picking her up from school everyday but if that happened she was blessed compared to John's other children. I also remember a custody battle for the children with Michelle who seems to have been the most stable person of the whole group.
THANK YOU MACKENZIE. I belive your story 100%. I also understand the need to heal by becoming public. You Father is dead. People not need worry about a dead mans feelings. My concern is with you. Too many heartless comments from the ignorant. Shine bright. Peace friend.
I am so proud of this woman! She has opened doors for countless people who may never have come to terms with it all. This is so painful a situation that most people live their whole lives without verbalizing it.
Mckenzie did what was right . Period . Dont know about anything else but the truth will set you free, and to keep it to herself would have made her a willing participante even more. It is called having a concience and using it to the best of her ability. Talking and telling of crimes like this IS NOT wrong and considering her father not respecting her why should she protect ONLY his reputation.. Being on drugs with her could be a chicken or egg thing (if I had a parent doing this, drugs might be the only way to deal with it) I think society does care, Atleast in the prison system they do. To stay silent is to keep people like her father protected from this crime, and only a continuance of it. Exposing crime is always the first step in solving any wrong doing. and due to nonexposure it should make anyone wonder why a child should have to deal with this while police go after candy bar stealers and drug dealers. Incest isnt JUST a social in justice but a crime, and it should be encouraged to be exposed not vise versa.
Inaccuracy in article: Where does it say that Mackenzie Phillips told Michelle Phillips that the abuse wasn't true? That wasn't reported anywhere? Did the author just make that up? I don't understand.
This story is so transparent with lies one would only have to know the failed, short lived fame mckenzie had "back in the day' to know and understnad that this is such a predictable call for attention due to the fact, she never did anything note worthy since ODAAT nor did she have any talent then. Was a terrible actress then and even now, isn't convincing enough in this role as the alleged victim to incest. Isn't it ironic that her dad is no longer alive when she came otu with this story? yeah, he isn't here to defend himself is he?
Another dried up washed up has been who shot up the last of her money and now in a desperate situation to make money from the public with her shocking story to pimp her new book. Pass the syringe, she needs another glorifying hit./
I think to forgive a crime like that is totally ludicrous. She should have come out with it as soon as it happened and put that freakky bastard behind bars.
Whether "true" or not in any form, sense, why public, why now but for $$$. Junkies are unreliable liars, con artists, and her credibility was hammered when she claimed Mick was interested in that skank.
Isnt it quite convienent that she comes out with this information when she writes a book!? Why not come out with this allegation last year? or the year before? And, it's quite sad that she makes these allegations against the one person who cannot defend himself. You can say anything against anyone when they are dead. If these allegations are true then she should have given her father the chance to defend himself, but since he is dead she is free to say whatever she wants, true or not true! Shame, shame, shame on you McKenzie Phillips, you waited until your father died to tell your story so he couldn't have his say! SHAME ON YOU MCKENZIE!!!!!
(Rolling eyes). Yes, the really important thing about this is John Phillips' reputation. Charlene, I guess you never saw the news story where Denny Doherty's daughter also came forward (Denny was the other male in the M&P) and acknowledged that it did happen, and was common knowledge to several in the reformed M&P.
Also dial up Bijou Phillips' sick, sad 2000 interview - http://www.indexmagazine.com/interviews/bijou_phillips.shtml, in which she goes back and forth about an seemingly autobiographical song she wrote about incest, getting "Daddy" tattooed on her bottom, and sleeping with Evan Dando in order to make her father jealous. Does that sound to you like someone whose boundaries with her father are "normal"? Why isn't the press exploring this as well?