Mackenzie Phillips Says She and Valerie Bertinelli Drank Wine and Did Cocaine During Sitcom Breaks

Mackenzie Phillips is reflecting openly on her years on the sitcom “One Day at a Time,” sharing memories of life behind the scenes, her long friendship with Valerie Bertinelli, and the addiction and recovery journey that shaped her adult life. The 66-year-old actress, who played Julie Cooper on the CBS series from 1975 to 1984, said some of the cast’s off-camera behavior would surprise viewers today. Phillips recalled that during lunch breaks, she and Bertinelli would sometimes leave the set, go to Phillips’ house, swim, drink wine and use cocaine. She said Bertinelli has also spoken publicly about that period, and stressed that her own addiction was far more severe.

Phillips said drugs were present in the show’s environment and that she and Bertinelli also used cocaine in the dressing room. She added that she was the one who eventually got caught, calling it a turning point and saying she was grateful in hindsight that she was stopped. Despite the turmoil, Phillips said the two actresses formed a deep bond while working together as teenage stars playing sisters Julie and Barbara Cooper. Their relationship, she said, extended far beyond the sitcom and became one of the most meaningful friendships in her life.

In a 2022 podcast interview, Phillips said their connection endured because they had grown from teenagers into women who still loved each other and the people they worked with. But she also acknowledged that addiction strained the friendship for years. Phillips described reaching out to Bertinelli during periods of sobriety with voice messages simply to share her progress, without expecting immediate contact. She said she understood that repairing the relationship would take time. Eventually, she said, Bertinelli did call back.

Phillips recently celebrated that enduring bond on Instagram in April 2025, wishing Bertinelli a happy 65th birthday and calling her sister and family. Beyond friendship, Phillips said what keeps her grounded today is faith and the perspective gained from surviving a difficult past. She said she no longer wants pity for what she has endured, because those experiences helped shape the woman she is now. Rather than wishing to erase her history, she said she feels blessed by the life she has built.

The actress has long spoken candidly about addiction, trauma and recovery. The daughter of Mamas & the Papas musician John Phillips, she has written memoirs about her life and recovery and has also worked in the addiction field as a counselor and manager at Breathe Life Healing Centers. Phillips said her purpose and strong work ethic have been essential to staying sober and helping others.

She also addressed a long-standing misunderstanding about her relationship with her father, saying that what she once described as consensual was in fact shaped by grooming, drugging and a child-parent power imbalance. Phillips said survivors often feel pressure to protect abusers, and she now sees that dynamic with greater clarity.