Mackenzie Phillips

Mackenzie Phillips

Mackenzie Phillips' biggest regret about going public with her incest allegations against her late father is losing contact with her "baby sister" Bijou - the actress likens it to a "missing limb".
 
The One Day at a Time star shocked fans with the 2009 release of her memoir High on Arrival, in which she revealed she had shared a decade-long sexual relationship with her dad John Phillips, the founder of The Mamas & the Papas.
 
Her whole family, including her half-siblings singer Chynna and actress Bijou, have distanced themselves from Phillips as a result of her controversial claims and she admits it's been hard to deal with.
 
But it's being completely cut off from Almost Famous star Bijou which hurts the 51 year old the most.
 
Speaking on daytime chat show The Talk, she says, "I haven't spoken to Bijou since the book came out... We were like cosy little mice in a pocket. I miss my baby sister Bijou the most, I miss her terribly...
 
"She would call me in the middle of the night for advice for men, life, boyfriends. I would go over and help her rehearse lines for auditions. I miss her like a missing limb."
 
Phillips understands why her family have stopped speaking to her, admitting it's important to protect the legacy of her dad as a musician: "I understand, because he was a brilliant musician, a brilliant writer, a brilliant arranger, (although he was) a terrible father and a fairly reprehensible human being.
 
"If you can separate the man and the music, please continue to enjoy the music of The Mamas and the Papas. I can."
 
But Phillips still stands by her decision to come forward about her ordeal, especially after hearing how her story helped others in similar situations: "I feel terrible about the negative effects this has had on my family, but then I look at the thousands of women and men across the world and across the country and I've opened up this national dialogue and people who didn't feel they had a voice, I've been able to speak for them and with them."