EXCLUSIVE Why Michelle Phillips is OK with neighbor who rummages through her trash and takes her mail

It looked like every homeowner's worst nightmare: a man rummaging through trash cans and swiping a packet of papers.
And for Mamas and Papas legend Michelle Phillips, 81, that was briefly the reality when the man swooped in shortly after she wheeled her garbage to the curb outside her Los Angeles home.
But DailyMail.com can reveal the seemingly sinister situation was actually nothing of the sort with Phillips saying the man is a neighbor on the hunt for discarded copies of the New York Times.
'He's perfectly harmless,' the singer told a Daily Mail reporter who showed her a photo of the man outside her home.
'It's nothing to worry about and I've known him since he was a teenager. He's very nice, and he was going through my trash to find my newspapers because he wants to read the New York Times.
Thank you for checking – that's what neighbors are for,' Michelle added.
But there may be more to the man's trash run than Michelle knows. He was clearly seen stuffing letters from her garbage into his back pockets before walking away.
Shortly after her neighbor took off, Phillips clad in black pants, a black sweater layered under a Japanese-inspired red and blue kimono and oversized black sunglasses, was seen heading out to run errands.
The incident marked Phillips's first public sighting since the death of Beach Boys icon Brian Wilson - a longtime acquaintance. Her daughter Chynna, 57, formed the successful 90s pop trio Wilson Phillips with Brian's daughters, Carnie and Wendy.
Phillips gave birth to Chynna during her tumultuous marriage to The Mamas & The Papas' founder and chief songwriter, John Phillips.
Their union – riddled with infidelity, substance abuse and the crushing weight of fame – lasted past the band's three-year career before ending in divorce in 1969.
She is also the stepmother to actress Mackenzie Phillips, 66, and model Bijou Phillips, 45, through her late ex-husband's other relationships.
When he was done looking through the last surviving member of The Mamas & The Papas's trash, he tucked a few envelopes in his back pocket before walking off
Phillips wore black pants, a black sweater layered under a Japanese-inspired red and blue kimono and oversized black sunglasses
John, who died in 2001 at age 65, notoriously had an affair with Cass Elliot, the group's other female vocalist, fueling deep tensions within the band.
Phillips, meanwhile, had her own controversial affairs - including with bandmate Denny Doherty and director Roman Polanski, the latter while his partner Sharon Tate was pregnant with his child.
But although their relationship was marred with controversy, she still defended her late ex-husband's character in 2009 when allegations emerged of incest made by her stepdaughter Mackenzie.
At the time, her other stepdaughter Bijou said she knew her half-sister Mackenzie had a consensual sexual relationship with their father.
Bijou, who was married to convicted rapist Danny Masterton till she filed for divorce in 2023, claimed she was 13 years old when Mackenzie told her about the relationship, calling the news 'confusing and scary'.
Bijou added that it was 'heartbreaking' to think her family knew about the incest and still left her alone with her father.
The band, which shot to stardom with hits 'California Dreamin',' 'Monday, Monday,' and 'Dedicated to the One I Love,' split in 1968 just three years after achieving mainstream success and winning a Grammy in 1967 for Best Contemporary (R&R) Group Performance, Vocal or Instrumental.
Phillips still found success after the band split through acting where she starred alongside celebrities such as Martin Sheen, Audrey Hepburn and Sharon Stone.
The singer-turned-actress was later cast in a biographical gangster film Dillinger in 1973 - which garnered her a Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising Newcomer.
She also took on roles in films including Valentino (1977), The Covenant (1985) and Scissors (1991).
Phillips additionally branched out to the world of television and starred in the series titled Knots Landing (1987-1993).
Later in her career, she had guest roles in beloved shows such as Beverly Hills, 90210 and The Love Boat.
At the height of her fame, Phillips had a whirlwind marriage to actor Dennis Hopper that lasted just eight days, as well as high-profile romances with Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty.
She divorced her third husband, radio producer John Burch, in 1979 after one year.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

The Sun

19 minutes ago

• The Sun

Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom to have ‘make-or-break talks' after her weeks on tour as pair hit ‘rough patch'

KATY Perry and Orlando Bloom will have "make-or-break talks" in the coming weeks after a strained past few months, The U.S. Sun can report. Katy, 40, and Orlando, 48 - who share 4-year-old daughter Daisy - have been hit with rumors of a split six years after they announced their engagement. 5 5 The singer plans to fly from Australia, where she's been performing for her Lifetimes tour, to their Montecito, California home to spend the July 4 holiday with Orlando and family. Despite rumors the couple is totally over, a source said: "no one has decided it's definitely the end of the road for Katy and Orlando." "They both love each other, but they have been living different lives for at least a year and in different mindsets. "But Katy especially doesn't want to just give up," the source continued. After spending nearly all of June Down Under, Katy's last performance in Australia will be in Adelaide on June 30. She has a break until her July 10 date in Denver, Colorado. And after his U.S. press tour promoting Deep Cover with just dog Biggie Smalls, Orlando also appears to have some time off for Independence Day. Perry was "deeply rocked" by her comeback album 143 being critically panned, "despite putting her heart and soul into the project," the source claimed. She was also slammed for taking part in the Blue Origin space flight this spring. (According to a separate source, Orlando disagreed with her decision to take part in the Jeff Bezos-backed journey, though he and Daisy supported her for the takeoff in Texas.) And she has "struggled with being on the road" since April for her tour. Watch first video inside Blue Origin space trip as Katy Perry and crew hang upside down & marvel at the moon The preparation, rehearsals and traveling have caused the "biggest disruption" to the settled life she had as a partner to Orlando. The source said: "Katy and Orlando have been disconnected for a while now, and with their work commitments have been living separate lives. "The plan is for them to reunite over the July 4 break. She has mentioned jetting back from Australia to spend time with Orlando, Daisy, her sister Angela and her kids. "They have barely been together for a decent amount of time, without distractions, for many, many months. "It has been 'go, go, go' and they thrived when they enjoyed a more settled life, being together in the same place for a length of time. But that has just not happened." Katy Perry & Orlando Bloom's Relationship Timeline Fans have followed Katy and Orlando's relationship since it began in 2016. Here's a breakdown of their romance. The lovebirds met in January 2016 at a Golden Globes afterparty. That May, the pair made their relationship Instagram official. Katy and Orlando broke up in February 2017, which their reps confirmed after fans noticed they kept their distance at the Vanity Fair Oscars party. They reunited a year later on vacation in Prague. In September 2018, the duo made their red carpet debut at the Gala for the Global Ocean at the Opera of Monte-Carlo in Monaco. Orlando popped the question on Valentine's Day the following year. In March 2019, Orlando revealed he sold his home and had moved in with Katy. In March 2020, the couple announced they were expecting their first child together, whom they welcomed on August 26. Shortly before their daughter Daisy Dove's second birthday, Katy teased that she wanted to have more children with her fiance. In May 2024, Katy had fans convinced she was pregnant again when she posted a photo of her holding a positive pregnancy test. She followed with throwback photos and videos of her sharing the news of her first pregnancy. NEVER REALLY OVER Despite the obstacles, the source insisted Katy and Orlando have not totally called it quits. "It is quite a lot more complicated than that. They have been apart for their longest amount of time since they have been together. "But there is still a huge amount of love between them, and there is still hope that they can ride out this rough patch. "Anyone in long term relationships goes through challenges, and many times when things appear to be done, couples reconnect and make things work. "The type of people they are, there still remains a lot of hope. Katy has never been happier in her life than with Orlando. "If this reunion can revive those times, then they could come through this." 5 5

Daily Mail​

24 minutes ago

• Daily Mail​

Pacers star Pascal Siakam reveals truth behind scary NBA finals ritual after fans accused him of 'devil magic'

Pacers star Pascal Siakam has lifted the lid on his disturbing pregame ritual ahead of Indiana 's win over the Thunder in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Siakam helped the Pacers set up a mouthwatering Game 7 showdown with Oklahoma City with an emphatic 108-91 win in Indiana on Thursday night. Before the game, however, as the Pacers huddled together, cameras caught the Cameroonian forward looking towards the ceiling with his eyes completely rolled back. Only the whites of his eyes were visible and the clip soon went viral, with fans even joking that 'devil magic' was responsible for the Pacers' series-saving win. After the game, Siakam was shown the footage. He burst into laughter and said: 'They said I was a demon?' 'I wish I had a 30-point game or something so then I could've been like: "Yeah, the spirit took over!" 'They said I was a demon. I wish I had a 30 point game or something so then I could've been like yeah, the spirit took over.' — Pascal Siakam (h/t @NoContext_NBA_) — Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 20, 2025 'I tried to close my eyes. I'm thinking that I'm closing them, but I'm not closing them... sometimes, I have to remind myself.' He continued: 'It used to happen a lot more, and I had to remind myself every time, "Close your eyes. Close your eyes."' The clip sent social media into a frenzy, with one fan writing: 'Everybody [is] praying and he [is] turning into the exorcist.' Another asked: 'And you're gonna tell me they don't [do] devil magic?' Siakam put up 16 points and 13 rebounds in a dominant victory for the Pacers. Star man Tyrese Haliburton scored 14 points for the Pacers, who started slowly and then turned things into a blowout. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was on hand with 21 points for the Thunder, who pulled their starters from the game when they trailed by 30 going into the fourth. Jalen Williams added 16. Indiana missed its first eight shots and got down 10-2. The arena, roaring just a few minutes before at the start, quieted quickly. After the slow start, the Pacers outscored the Thunder 68-32 over the next 24 minutes. An Indiana team that hadn't led by more than 10 points at any time in the first five games - and that double-digit lead was brief - led by 28 early in the third quarter. The margin eventually got to 31, which was Oklahoma City's second-biggest deficit of the season.

Daily Mail​

24 minutes ago

• Daily Mail​

Jodie Turner-Smith shows off her cool sense of style for day out with best friend Nancy Gomez

Jodie Turner-Smith showcased her sense of style as she headed out in Manhattan with her best friend Nancy Gomez on Friday. The actress, 38, put on a leggy display in a pair of distressed denim shorts and a fitted T-shirt. She paired the look with ballet pumps and a large Burberry shoulder bag. Meanwhile, photographer Nancy cut an equally casual figure in an oversized blazer, a baseball cap and shades. Their outing comes amid Jodie's bitter custody battle with her ex-husband Joshua Jackson, 46, over their five-year-old daughter Juno. Relations between the pair took a further downward turn earlier this month when she appeared to compare him to a Disney villain. Jodie and the Dawson's Creek star split in October 2023 citing 'irreconcilable differences' reportedly caused by their busy work schedules. Joshua filed a motion and request for an emergency custody order modification, according to court documents obtained by E! News. In the motion, filed on May 30, he claimed Jodie changed their five-year-old daughter's school for kindergarten without his permission. He claimed she selected a school that was outside of the 45-minute commute time from his home that they had previously agreed upon. He requested that Juno remains at her current school where she is 'flourishing' and is seeking joint consent with her ex-wife over any decisions regarding her education.