John Phillips’ 5 Children: The Musical Family’s Ups and Downs

A FAMILY AFFAIR –

Feb. 23, 2024 – John Phillips had a complicated relationship with his five children as he struggled with drug addiction throughout his life.

The Mamas & the Papas singer was a father to Jeffery and Mackenzie Philips and later welcomed daughter Chynna Phillips with his bandmate, Michelle Phillips. John also married Geneviève Waïte and had son Tamerlane and daughter Bijou Phillips.

John died on March 18, 2001, at 65 years old. Eight years later, Mackenzie wrote a memoir that exposed her decade-long incestuous relationship with her father, which led to splintering within the siblings’ relationships.

While Bijou told Oprah Magazine that she did not experience any sexual abuse from her father, Chynna supported her sister for having the “courage to come out and talk about her past,” she told Oprah in 2009.

n 1957, John married his first wife Susan Adams. The same year, they welcomed their first child, Jeffrey. On Nov. 10, 1959, Mackenzie, née Laura Mackenzie Phillips, was born. Just a few years later, John met his second wife and future bandmate, Michelle Phillips. Though he was still married to Susan, he began an affair with the then-teenage Michelle, which ultimately led to his split from Susan and a new marriage.

Here’s everything to know about John Phillips’ relationship with his five kids.