Mackenzie Phillips recalls being fired from 'One Day at a Time' over drug test
The actress recalled being asked to take a drug test before producers told her to leave the hit sitcom's set
Mackenzie Phillips is opening up about the moment her time on One Day at a Time came to an abrupt end, revealing she was dismissed from the hit sitcom after being asked to take a drug test under a special clause in her contract.
Speaking during a panel at Fanboy Expo in Knoxville, Tennessee, on July 10, the 66-year-old actress reflected on her struggles with addiction and explained that her contract included a more specific "morals clause" than those of her castmates.
"Part of the contract was, because we all had a morals contract, but mine was a little more specific," Phillips said, explaining that producers had the right to require a drug test if they suspected she was under the influence.
The actress recalled the day she was confronted while resting during a lunch break on set.
"One day, I was asleep on the couch," Phillips said, remembering when co-executive producer Patricia Fass Palmer woke her and told her they were taking her to a doctor for a urinalysis.
Phillips admitted she initially asked if the test could be postponed until the following day because "cocaine runs through your system so quickly," but her request was denied.
Instead, she was told to gather her belongings and leave the set, marking the end of her run on the series.
Phillips starred as Julie Cooper from the sitcom's 1975 debut until 1980, when her character was written out following her dismissal. She later returned for a brief guest appearance before making her final exit in 1983.
Looking back, the actress said getting caught ultimately changed the course of her life.
In a May 2026 interview with Fox News Digital, Phillips admitted she would sometimes leave the set to "drink wine and snort coke" during her years on the show.
"I just happened to be the one that got caught. And thank God I got caught," she said.
Phillips has since spoken openly about overcoming addiction. In a 2018 interview with People, she said portraying an inmate battling substance abuse in Orange Is the New Black felt deeply personal because she had lived through similar experiences.
Before returning to acting, Phillips also worked in behavioral health as a counselor at a treatment center, helping others struggling with addiction.