Mackenzie Phillips Has No Hard Feelings Over One Day At A Time Firing: 'Thank God I Got Caught'

Sitcoms in the '70s upended the traditional "Leave It to Beaver" formula of happy housewives raising gee-whiz kids. Single women finally got their day, thanks to career-oriented Mary Richards, striving waitress Alice Hyatt,and the strong women who led the cast of "One Day at a Time." The show about a divorced mom and her teen daughters ran for nine successful seasons. Yet, Mackenzie Phillips' character, Julie Cooper, was rarely seen after Season 5. The producers fired the actor over her continued drug use. Phillips, despite her tragic life, actually sees the ouster as a lifesaver.

People reports that at a July 2026 fan expo, the actor spoke frankly about the events leading to her exit. The daughter of musician John Phillips had developed such a reputation for getting high both on and off the set that her contract mandated drug testing if she was suspected of using on the job. One day, co-executive producer Patricia Fass Palmer — "who I hated for years and now we're very good friends," Phillips noted — woke her from a lunch-break nap, saying she needed to go for a urinalysis. Knowing she still had cocaine in her system, Phillips unsuccessfully tried to stall for time. "[Palmer] said, 'All right, Mac. Grab your stuff and get it together. Get all your stuff. And leave.' So that's what I did. And that was that."

The incident helped launch Phillips' long and road-bump-filled, yet ultimately successful, road to sobriety. In an interview with Fox News Digital, she explained that though co-star Valerie Bertinelli used to drink and do coke with her, "I just happened to be the one that got caught. And thank God I got caught, you know?"

The leading ladies of "One Day at a Time" went on to various life and career successes. Bonnie Franklin made stage and occasional TV appearances before her death in 2013. Valerie Bertinelli is better known as a Food Network star who now hosts her own cooking and lifestyle website. Mackenzie Phillips' credits include appearances on "Orange Is the New Black," "Hot in Cleveland," and the reboot of "One Day at a Time." Her biggest triumph, arguably, is her continued sobriety, which led her to her current position as an addiction counselor at L.A.'s Breathe Life Healing Centers. 

Bertinelli, who quit using drugs in 1990, kept her distance from her TV sister while she was still using. Phillips explained to Fox News that once she got sober, she reached out numerous times in hopes of reconnecting. "It was like I was patient because I know I had a lot of repair to do," she said. "And I said [in a voicemail], 'You don't have to call me back; I just want you to know I'm thinking of you and I love you.' And one day the phone rang."

Bertinelli has since regretted not being more available for her costar, and praises Phillips' courage in healing from both her addiction and her past family trauma. "She was a very tortured soul," she said in a 2009 interview with "Good Morning America" (via ABC News). "I'm seeing this light come out of her because she's letting go of a lot of that pain."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).