Mackenzie Phillips is revealing details about her experiences as a child actor.
Phillips, who is 66, recently told Fox News that she and her costar Valerie Bertinelli used cocaine on the set of One Day at a Time, the popular Norman Lear sitcom where they portrayed teenage sisters Julie and Barbara Cooper.
“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,” Phillips said in an interview published on Sunday, May 31.
“But Valerie talks about it openly, so it’s not like I’m pulling her covers or anything,” Phillips continued. “The thing was that … Valerie didn’t have the kind of addiction that I had; she didn’t have addiction.”
“And, you know, so we would do coke together in the dressing room and stuff,” she said. “I just happened to be the one that got caught. And thank God I got caught, you know?”
Us Weekly has reached out to Bertinelli’s representatives for comment.
Phillips and Bertinelli were part of One Day at a Time, which aired on CBS from 1975 to 1984 and ran for nine seasons with over 200 episodes.
During her tenure on the show, Phillips battled substance abuse and addiction, leading to her being fired twice.
Mackenzie Phillips (as Julie Cooper); Valerie Bertinelli (as Barbara Cooper) and Bonnie Franklin (as Ann Romano). CBS via Getty Images
Bertinelli, meanwhile, has been forthcoming about her drug use in the past.
In 2024, Bertinelli shared that she turned to drugs after she “fell in love” with her ex-husband, Eddie Van Halen. She described their turbulent relationship as one that “rapidly declined into drugs, alcohol and infidelity. … Nothing that makes you feel loved, wanted and cared for. Nothing that screams ‘soulmate,’ that’s for sure.”
Bertinelli married Van Halen in 1981. In her 2008 memoir, Losing It, she recounted that cocaine was present during their wedding ceremony.
“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 cocaine,” she wrote. “Now, if you ask me, those are not two people who should be making decisions about the rest of their lives.”
Valerie Bertinelli is making a significant — though daunting — career move. Bertinelli, 65, announced via Instagram on June 9 that she’s returning to acting with an upcoming Lifetime project. Although the Food Network star did not disclose details about the project, she admitted to feeling “so grateful, if not a bit anxious.” “It’s an […]
Bertinelli and Van Halen ended their marriage in 2007. The musician passed away in 2020 at the age of 65. He is survived by his son with Bertinelli, Wolfgang Van Halen.
“I can’t believe I’m having to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning,” Wolfgang announced his father’s passing in an Instagram post at the time. “He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift. My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
