NEWS'One Day at a Time' Star Mackenzie Phillips Reveals She's Been Celibate for 15 Years: 'Nobody Knows This'
Mackenzie Phillips opened up about her decision to be celibate for 15 years.
Sept. 14 2026, Published 3:17 p.m. ET
Mackenzie Phillips opened up about her s-- life and the personal choices she's made in recent years during a candid conversation with Valerie Bertinelli.
"I have been celibate for 15 years," Phillips said, before adding, "Nobody knows this. I'm saying this here. You don't have to cut it out, it's okay."
The One Day at a Time star made the admission while appearing on Bertinelli's "Getting N-----: The Podcast," where the former costars discussed intimacy, relationships and their lives away from the spotlight.
She's Had Her Fill of S--
Mackenzie Phillips made the stunning celibacy revelation while talking to Valerie Bertinelli.
Phillips later elaborated on the reasoning behind her decision. "I'm like, I have had enough s-- to last for several lifetimes for several people," said the American Graffiti actress, per People.
She then described how she handles the emotional scars she has carried over the years.
"The parts of me that were injured or wounded, I can care for them myself," she revealed.
Phillips Needed Time Alone to Recharge
Mackenzie Phillips revealed she always found herself drained and needing to recharge after busy days.
Phillips also discussed how her relationship with socializing had changed over the years. She said she once considered herself very extroverted but eventually found that busy days could leave her with little energy for conversation.
"I would get home, and I would have no words left, you know, and so in order to get up and do it again the next day, I had to be alone to recharge," she said.
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Phillips Doesn't Date
Mackenzie Phillips said she prefers to spend time reading and catering to her pets.
Phillips made clear that romance is not part of the life she is leading now.
"I don't date," said the Hollywood icon. "I have my little friend in the bedside drawer."
Away from the demands of her career, Phillips described a routine centered on simple pleasures and companionship at home.
"I like to lay around and read books, and I like to have my kitties," she said.
Bertinelli Shared Her Own Perspective
Valerie Bertinelli disclosed that she's also been celibate for years.
Bertinelli supported Phillips' outlook before sharing that she had experienced something similar herself.
"There's nothing wrong with being celibate," Bertinelli, who recently admitted she was "really scared to date again" following two rough divorces, said.
"I go through periods of celibacy. Like, I've been celibate for, I guess, almost two years now. It doesn't bother me," said the actress.
Phillips and Bertinelli played sisters Julie and Barbara Cooper on One Day at a Time, which premiered in 1975.
Phillips later wrote about her complicated past and recovery in her 2009 memoir High on Arrival and her 2017 book Hopeful Healing.
