Mackenzie Phillips Says She and Valerie Bertinelli Used Cocaine on the Set of One Day at a Time
Mackenzie Phillips is opening up about her past struggles with addiction and recalling her time on the set of One Day at a Time. In a Fox News interview published on Sunday, May 31, the 66-year-old actress looked back on her years playing Julie Cooper on the Norman Lear sitcom and spoke about her experiences working alongside Valerie Bertinelli, who played Barbara Cooper.
Phillips said that during the show’s run, she and Bertinelli used cocaine together. She described lunch breaks when the two would leave the set, go to her house, swim, drink wine, and use cocaine. Phillips said Bertinelli has publicly discussed the topic before and emphasized that, in her view, Bertinelli did not struggle with addiction in the same way she did.
According to Phillips, the two also used cocaine in the dressing room. She said she was the one who eventually got caught, adding that being caught was ultimately a turning point for her. Phillips has spoken openly for years about her substance abuse and recovery, and she has previously said those struggles affected her work on One Day at a Time.
During her time on the series, Phillips was reportedly fired twice because of her addiction issues, once after the fifth season and again during the ninth and final season. Her comments add new detail to the long-running public conversation about the personal challenges behind the scenes of the popular sitcom.
The interview comes as other entertainers, including singer Lola Young earlier this year, have also spoken publicly about cocaine addiction and the impact of substance abuse on their lives and careers.
