Mackenzie Phillips has opened up about the wild behind-the-scenes antics she shared with Valerie Bertinelli during their time on the beloved family sitcom One Day at a Time. The two actresses portrayed sisters Julie and Barbara Cooper on the show from 1975 to 1984. Phillips, who battled substance abuse and was fired twice from the series, now recalls how they would unwind after filming.
In a recent interview with Fox News Digital at the Chiller Theatre Expo in Parsippany, New Jersey, Phillips, 66, stated: 'So this might surprise you that during lunch break, Valerie and I would drive to my house, get in the pool, drink wine, and snort coke.' She emphasized that Bertinelli, also 66, did not struggle with addiction as she did, but they both engaged in the behavior. 'The thing was that I was the, you know, Valerie didn’t have the kind of addiction that I had, she didn’t have addiction,' Phillips explained.
Details of the Revelations
Phillips clarified that her comments were not intended to expose Bertinelli, as Bertinelli has spoken openly about their shared past. 'But Valerie talks about it openly, so it’s not like I’m pulling her covers or anything,' she said. 'And you know, so we would do coke together in the dressing room and stuff. I just happened to be the one that got caught. And thank God I got caught, you know?'
Representatives for Bertinelli have not yet responded to requests for comment from the Daily Mail.
Bertinelli's Own Admissions
Bertinelli previously acknowledged trying cocaine for the first time as a teenager with Phillips, according to Today. The drug use continued into her relationship with her ex-husband, the late Eddie Van Halen. In her memoir Losing It, she recalled a moment before their wedding: 'The priest we tapped to perform the ceremony gave us questionnaires so he could get to know us better and offer more personal words. As we filled out the forms at home, we each held a little vial of coke.' She added, 'It doesn't really bode well for the marriage, I don't think.'
Phillips' Perspective on Her Past
In 2023, Phillips described herself as the 'obvious rebel' on set during an interview on her sister Chynna Phillips's YouTube channel. She said: 'I got in trouble, I got caught doing drugs and all this kind of stuff... and I talk about it in High On Arrival, with Valerie's permission, is that what people didn't know is that we were leaving for lunch and going up to my house and drinking wine in the pool and chopping lines on the coffee table.' She stressed that Bertinelli was not doing drugs to the same extent and was able to 'slide under the radar.'
Phillips' Career and Struggles
Phillips won her first major film role at age 12 in George Lucas's 1973 film American Graffiti and later starred as rebellious teen Julie Cooper on One Day at a Time. The show ran from 1975 to 1984, and she was reportedly the highest-paid actor on the series. However, her career suffered due to drug use, leading to her being fired twice from the show.
Phillips revealed that her father taught her to roll joints at age 10, and she tried cocaine for the first time at 11. Her life spiraled out of control due to substance abuse, and she has spoken about doing drugs with her father, John. In her 2009 memoir High On Arrival, she alleged a 10-year incestuous relationship with her father, a claim that divided her family.
Reflecting on being fired from One Day at a Time, she said: 'My addiction was so powerful and so out of control that when I was fired for the second time from the show for drug use, I thought, "Ah screw them, you know, I'll get my next job in a minute," that did not happen. And I became basically unhirable for a long, long time.'
After getting sober, she realized she had to move past her pride and audition again. She landed a role on the Disney Channel show So Weird (1999–2001) and later appeared on Orange Is the New Black (2018) and the One Day at a Time reboot (2017–2020).
Legal Troubles and Recovery
In 2008, Phillips pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine after being arrested at Los Angeles International Airport. As part of her plea, she completed an 18-month drug treatment program. Now, she has turned her life around and works as an addiction counselor at Breathe Life Healing Centers in Los Angeles. On their website, she states: 'My addiction was so powerful, and so rooted in early trauma, that I lost myself for many years. Now, with a strong recovery I’m committed to helping others find their voice at Breathe Life Healing Centers.'
