Julie Cooper Horvath, played by Mackenzie Phillips, struggled with personal issues on the show “One Day at a Time.” She eventually left the series.
“One Day at a Time” was a sitcom that aired from 1975 to 1984, focusing on the life of a single mother and her two daughters. Julie Cooper Horvath, the older daughter, was a central character in the early seasons. As the series progressed, Julie’s character faced various challenges, including teenage marriage and motherhood. Behind the scenes, Mackenzie Phillips, the actress portraying Julie, struggled with drug addiction, which affected her performance and reliability.
Phillips’ issues became public knowledge, and after multiple incidents, she was fired from the show during the fifth season. She returned for guest appearances in the sixth season but was written out again due to a relapse in her addiction. The character of Julie was then occasionally mentioned but remained off-screen for the remainder of the series. Phillips’ personal struggles mirrored some of the issues her character faced, and her departure from the show was a significant moment in the series’ history.