Why did Mackenzie Phillips leave one day at a time?

Mackenzie Phillips is a singer and actress who has appeared in over 70 films, TV shows, and stage productions. She is probably best known for her role as Julie Cooper in the series “One Day at a Time,” which earned her a nomination for the TV Land Award for Favorite Singing Siblings, which she shares with co-star Valerie Bertinelli.

Mackenzie made her acting debut as Doris in the 1973 film “Go Ask Alice,” and the same year she also co-starred with Richard Dreyfuss, Paul Le Mat, and Ron Howard in the comedy-drama “American Graffiti,” which received five Oscar nominations. The movie is about a group of teenagers who have just graduated from high school and are out on the town the night before they have to leave for college.

Why did Mackenzie Phillips leave one day at a time?

One Day at a Time’s creators extended her an invitation to return to the program in 1981. Phillips, however, returned into cocaine usage in 1982, and the following year, she passed out on the set of the show. She was permanently sacked and her character was removed from the series when she refused to submit to a drug test.