Inside Valerie Bertinelli's Relationship With Mackenzie Phillips Today

Posted by Kary Bruening on Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Many may remember the shocking allegations Mackenzie made against her father John Phillips in her 2009 memoir, "High on Arrival," published eight years after his death. In the memoir, Phillips, who struggled with addiction from an early age, revealed that when she was 18, she woke up from a blackout one night to find her father sexually assaulting her. The two later began 10 year-long "consensual" relationship, she told Oprah Winfrey in a 2009 interview, per ABC News. The incestuous relationship finally ended only after she became pregnant and feared the baby might have been her father's. The pregnancy ended in an abortion, for which John Phillips paid.

During this stunning live interview, Phillips' former co-star Valerie Bertinelli was backstage, and only learned of the abuse, which started during their time together on "One Day at a Time" as the program was being recorded.

Per TV Guide, Bertinelli then interrupted the program and surprised Phillips with an appearance during the interview. "I had no idea what you've been through," she told her old friend. "I feel regret that I wasn't there for you as much as I could have been. I was so wrapped up in my own life ... because I've dealt with substance abuse. And so I wasn't paying attention to my sister, and I feel bad for that."

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