Mackenzie Phillips has spoken about the circumstances surrounding her departure from the sitcom "One Day at a Time," citing a "morals clause" in her contract that ultimately led to her being fired. Phillips, who starred as Julie Cooper on the CBS series, explained that her struggles with addiction resulted in specific stipulations being added to her contract.
According to Phillips, the clause allowed producers to require her to undergo urinalysis if they suspected she was under the influence. The actress recounted a specific incident during a lunch break on set. "One day, I was asleep on the couch," Phillips said, as reported by People magazine. "It was lunch hour. Everybody would just take a little nap. And [co-executive producer] Patricia Fass Palmer... she came up to me, and she said, 'Mac, wake up. Wake up. We're gonna take you to the doctor and have you pee in a cup.'"
When Phillips asked for more time, knowing cocaine was quickly processed by the body, Palmer reportedly denied the request. "She said, 'No, we're not waiting until tomorrow,'" Phillips recalled. "And I said, 'OK, well.' She 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."
Phillips starred on "One Day at a Time" from 1975 to 1980. Her character was written off the show following her dismissal, though she later returned for a guest appearance before leaving the series permanently in 1983.
In previous interviews, Phillips has been candid about her past substance use, including sharing that she and co-star Valerie Bertinelli would use cocaine during breaks on set. Phillips has stated that Bertinelli has also spoken openly about this period. "Valerie didn't have the kind of addiction that I had; she didn't have addiction," Phillips clarified, noting that drug use was not uncommon behind the scenes. "I just happened to be the one that got caught. And thank God I got caught, you know?"
Phillips has since focused on her recovery and resilience, crediting her faith and life experiences for shaping her into the person she is today. She has written about her struggles and recovery in her memoirs "High on Arrival" and "Hopeful Healing: Essays on Managing Recovery and Surviving Addiction." She has also worked in the addiction and recovery field as a counselor and manager. Mackenzie Phillips attends The Paley Honors: A Special Tribute to Television's Comedy Legends at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, on Nov. 21, 2019.