Yesterday, I told you about Mackenzie Phillips interview with Oprah which is sitting on my DVR waiting for me. As I mentioned, Mackenzie admits to having sex with her father. I was unclear as to the circumstances, but reading about today’s interview has cleared up any fuzziness that I may have been experiencing.
Mackenzie told the audience that she had sex with her father starting at the age of 19 — she told Oprah that it was “an abuse of power”. The night before her wedding, she got totally high with her dad and passed out. When she woke up, her father was having sex with her. And this sexual relationship continued for ten years! At one point, her father even suggested that they move to Fiji where father-daughter affairs are apparently more accepted.
Then there’s the matter of truth. Is Mackenzie lying about all this to sell books? John Phillips wife at the time of this alleged “affair” thinks so. According to Genevieve Waite, John was “incapable, no matter how drunk or drugged he was, of having such a relationship with his own child.” Another of Mackenzie’s step-mothers also thinks she’s lying. Michelle Phillips, co-founder of Mamas and Papas had this to say: “I think it’s unconscionable that Oprah would let her do her show. I have every reason to believe it’s untrue. Oprah should be more judicious about who she has on her show.” She does have some family support, though. Chynna Phillips, half-sister to Mac and daughter of Michelle, claims that she was told about the inappropriate union back in 1997. She told Us of her reaction: “Somebody could have dropped a piano on my head and I probably wouldn’t have felt it. But I knew it was true. I mean, who in their right mind would make such a claim if it wasn’t true?”
After a decade of having sex with her dad, Phillips became pregnant. She says she doesn’t know who the father was, but she had an abortion that John paid for. After that, she never had sex with him again.
Phillips concluded by saying, “I can’t be the only one this has happened to. Someone needs to put a face on consensual incest.”
You know, maybe it’s just me? But I wouldn’t want my face associated with “consensual incest”. Serious.
Second that. whoo eee
I know. It really bothers me how she seems almost accepting of the “consensual” aspect of it. He took advantage of her. I wouldn’t call that consensual. I don’t think there is any incest that is truly “consensual”.
I agree that incest is probably never truly “consensual”. But MacKenzie said it was. So, it was from her point of view. And her point of view is what matters.
I get what you’re saying – it’s never consensual in any way that matters, and it’s never ok, and it’s always abusive. But I think she’s trying to make an important point. Incest isn’t just what people do to tiny kids – sometimes it involves older teens or even adults, but it still fucks with their heads in terrible ways and they need love and support and help. It’s like date rape – being forced to have sex by a guy you went on a date with is rape, and a crime, but a generation ago nobody thought like that, they thought it was only rape if it was a stranger and knife point who beat you up. And it was important to explain to people in general that yes, stranger-knifepoint-broken bones is not identical with date-pressure-“I said no and he didn’t listen”, but both are rape and we have to condemn both.
Well said. An abuse of power is never ok.
If anyone wants to really screw with their sensibilities, google “John and Jenny Deaves”.
Thank you, BOTH of you for understanding that this shit doesn’t only happen to little children. SOME abusers prefer pre-teens and teenagers.
As gross as all of this is, it’s part of Mackenzie’s healing process…and it’s going to take a long time for her to stop talking about it. People who don’t know how this feels really shouldn’t pass judgment.
I appreciate you, Wendie, for not being crass and uncaring about this issue; but I would expect nothing LESS from you when it comes to sensitive subjects like incest.
Thank you.
j
I can’t imagine any one at 19 years old who is an adult would ever consent to sex with their parent! If she found him on top of her that night I think that would have been it for any normal person. Obviously she’s as screwed up as he was. Who as an adult would allow that to happen for ten years, remember he wasn’t forcing her she was consenting to it…Just Disgusting!
Me neither…After all she was an adult not some poor helpless defenseless child living at home. Why would she consent to it? Disgusting to say the least!
This is pretty revolting. I really wouldn’t want to read a book written about this.
What’s all this about Fiji? Is that actually true? I sort of doubt it. I’ve heard that incest is or was a bit more tolerated in Polynesian cultures (slim pickings on an island) but the society must have modernized somewhat by now, and I know it’s received a lot of outside influence too.
That’s why he wanted to move to Fiji because he believed it was more accepted.
Yes, I know, but what I’m asking is, was he right about Fiji? Or was he mistaken?
I’m just not sure we needed to put a face on consensual incest.
Of course the step mothers are saying it’s not true! Geez Louise.
my thoughts exactly. as a woman, how could you accuse her of lying about something like that [unless you had absolute proof]? wtf
Michelle Phillips does, however, appear to be a pretty decent person- she was a mother figure to various different children of the group, including Cass Elliot’s daughter Owen, and she herself has said that John was abusive to her during their marriage.
He married her when she was 16 I think.
Anyway, she doesn’t seem to be the type to say things to save his face. I would say she was completely unaware of the situation and honestly doesn’t believe it. I fyou read interviews with her she doesn’t pull her punches.
What’s wrong with having sex with your daughter? They both wanted it and no one got hurt. I bet she still fantasizes about her dad on top of her.
ditto to “your sick @ Jake”.
Insensitive.
You’re sick @ Jake
I dont even know what to say about this whole thing.. I thought she had sex with her dad, as in, once… But for 10 years??? that makes it a milion times worse!… Just way too sick and perverted for my liking…
I don’t think you’re supposed to like it.
About “ten years”: I have talked to women who have been incested for years and years.
About MacKenzie being too adult to know better: unless we read the book for the details, we cannot say anything judgmental or even slightly judgmental. I know: It is hard to take. But her credibility should not be questioned. She would not make it up.
About “consensual”: It is my guess that she said it that way and saw it that way because it was/is the only way she can describe it. Maybe he did not force himself on her each time. It is also my guess and belief about incest in general, that no woman truly consents to incest—or for that matter, any kind of unwanted or socially unacceptable sex.
So so hot!