Stepmom Michelle Phillips: I'm Mad At Mackenzie

Michelle Phillips, John Phillips' second wife and a former member of The Mamas and the Papas, has some choice words for her stepdaughter. She finds MacKenzie's televised incest confessional not only unbelievable, but infuriating, she tells Vanity Fair.

"I'm so embarrassed--and mad," she said. "At Oprah, at the publisher, and at Mackenzie, who should be on a psychiatrist's couch, not on TV." Michelle is not quite ready to concede that her former husband and the father of her daughter, Chynna Phillips, could have committed such heinous acts. "Is this all true? We'll never know, because she waited until John was dead," she said, adding that she was worried about how the news will impact other members of the Phillips family. "If you're going to make these accusations and they don't hurt anyone living, that's one thing. But Mackenzie has affected the lives of all her nieces and nephews, who are not going to school today and are staying home sobbing instead. And the book has come out just at the time that Chynna [a onetime member of the group Wilson Phillips] has to go out on the road with her new album [of Christian music], Chynna and Vaughan. She said, 'Mom, what am I gonna do--not promote my album?' So she's going out today, head held high."

Other members of the original Mamas and Papas inner circle are more compassionate. One responded via email:

"If I could pull John out of his crypt and beat the crap out of him I would. What a tragic, disgusting, and disturbing piece of news."

You can read the whole VF piece here.

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Comments

[PhDiva]

This entire family is nuts. That's why I believe he did abuse both Mackenzie and Bijou. Why else would they be this deeply disturbed? Something unfortunate happened in that family.

[ladydragon]

who in their right mind would air this kind of dirty laundry if it wasn't true? if it is true, this girl has a long history of substance abuse, she was kicked off the show because of it, she needs help and Jesus.

[lmvd3]

Michelle's hard partying life-style sure shows.

[querencia]

This breaks my heart... in so many directions. I loved that band and John had such a light in him when they played- we recent;y watched old footage from the monterey pop festival that they closed. Amazing how much can exist within one person and how sad that this family that had so much talent also had such pain to deal with. Michelle- i have known a lot of incest survivors- and never known one of them to ever lie. Excruciating to admit in the first place. Hard to accept... forgive...­from all sides. Your daughter is alive and has been through hell. Please don't abandon her. So sorry for the society that sets this one up to the extent that ours does. We need to evolve beyond male dominance and male role belief conditioning. For our daughters, our sons, and all the fathers and mothers too.

[happymom]

Heart felt-- and spot on.

[JakeMontero]

In the interview she called Mackenzie a mother F'er ... before she realized that she is a father f'er...

[Aramingo]

I can't believe my eyes and ears.

[VOTER]

Crickets ..........­.....

[VOTER]

crickets ..........­..........­......

[VOTER]

Misplaced comment(s)

The Entertainment Page's "Abuse Advocate's" recent comment.
CRICKETS .

[Two Cents]

Michelle is either a lier or in denial.

[truthglow]

She's both, and I have lost any respect that I ever had for her!

[GHARDY]

Michelle should be mad at her own daughter, China who called her a liar, disputing the claim made by Michelle that Mackenzie had mental illness.

[caligyrl74]

Yep, that made Michelle look pretty bad to have her own daughter say that she's basically trying to hurt Mackenzie out of anger.

[lmvd3]

Chynna certainly has no reason to lie about this. Mackenzie's revelation brings Chynna no benefits, whatsoever, only plenty of woe and embarrassment. Obviously Chynna speaks the truth, even at great personal cost.

[klandish]

Why would MacKenzie's give such a complicated and involved description of her unfortunate participation as an adult with her Father sexually if it wasn't true? The easier road would be to tell it as if it all happened as a child. She bravely insinuated herself into the disfunction. Although most psychologists would allow her a great deal of leeway for her actions because of the early abuse the amount of guilt must be incredible and confusing. Her experience is hardly anything someone would invent for attention.

[happymom]

Well said. Why would you throw yourself under the bus by saying it was "consensual" if you were making the whole thing up? That is so far off the wall. It shows that she is in a conflicting state about this relationship. She is still trying to piece this together one step at a time. And I like the fact that she has come forward in a state of confusion (at least what appears to be confusion), because we have the opportunity as a country to step up and say to other victims that they don't have to be "perfect" or have "full understanding" of the effects of the abuse to speak out. This takes a lifetime to heal and if victims wait until they are "perfect" no one would ever say a word and the education on this topic would be stunted further.

In the end you are spot on. Who would invent this for attention? It's just nonsense. There are much better, more affective ways to bring attention to yourself as a former child star that wouldn't cause nearly the pain or anguish this will cause her.

[klandish]

It takes a special form of cynicism to imagine or believe revealing this, one of our greatest cultural taboos, is being use by MacKenzie to sell books or advance her career. I'm perplexed by many of the comments by people on these threads. But not surprised by Michelle Phillips. She has always struck me instinctively as a self involved, self seeker. The very thing she's accusing MacKenzie of being.

[happymom]

leeleelu, MrsPeel, Tequila, Protagnia, Makeawish, Matahar, rising sun, Imvd3, limber------was gone for the day and come back and see you all-----and just want to say You all ROCK----- Every one of you just ROCK this board!

[lmvd3]

Likewise. I'm partial to truth-seekers and truth-speakers.

[limber]

Bijou Phillips gave an interview in 2000, in transcript form:

http://www.indexmagazine.com/interviews/bijou_phillips.shtml

I know she's making very different statements now, and that Mackenzie doesn't think her sisters were ever abused, but that interview is an eye-opener. Both in that Bijou's singing a very different tune about her relationship with her dad, and that the claim that Mackenzie somehow brought trouble down on this family is vastly exaggerated.

[happymom]

I really think this will take time, but eventually it will unravel and they will all get the help they need. It's obvious to me other things went on that are still not front and center in this situation.

[Two Cents]

. . . .good grief.

[lmvd3]

Michelle Phillips is certainly no pillar of honor and integrity. Far from it! In fact, I would trust addict Mackenzie Phillips' claims any day, over Michelle Phillips' denials.

[Tadpole7]

I love Michelle. She's still a spitfire and a firecracker. And honestly, I'm more inclined to believe her than Mackenzie, based on what I know about them both.

[lmvd3]

Are you SERIOUS? Do you know anything of Michelle Phillips' history?

[VOTER]

Are you saying she hasn't changed?
Well, she has.

Does she need to be arrested with drugs, go through a Celebrity Detox
Show and write a salacious book before you'd be willing to
admit she has changed for the better?

[happymom]

It's denial from aiding and abetting abuse in the Phillips family for decades.

[TequilaMockingbird]

Based on what you know?? You either know very little or you find admiration in extremely distasteful things.