‘The Brady Bunch’s Maureen McCormick Is Doting Wife & Caregiver Now — Husband Saved Her Years after Psych Ward

• America's favorite TV daughter, Marcia Brady, aka Maureen McCormick, from the iconic 70s sitcom "The Brady Bunch," is a loving mother, wife, and caregiver.
• The 70s star's life looks very different today than it did during her "The Brady Bunch" days when she was quietly battling addiction.
• McCormick has opened up about the challenges she has experienced in her life, how she made it through, and what currently gives her life purpose and new meaning.

As the youngest of four children, Maureen Denise McCormick was born in 1956 on August 5 in Encino, Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of Richard and Irene McCormick and has three older brothers, Michael, Dennis, and Kevin McCormick.

The 70s icon got her start in the entertainment industry very early, at six years old, where she won a pageant contest: Baby Miss San Fernando Valley. This opportunity gave way to McCormick's acting future as the prototype teenie-bopper for all young girls to look up to.

A year later, when McCormick turned seven, she was cast in a play which was her first-ever role. Following that, the 70s "It" girl went on to star in various TV commercials for popular brands such as Mattel and Kraft Heinz, and of course, the popular sitcom classic, "The Brady Bunch."

Before starring as the forever-admirable "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!" from "The Brady Bunch," McCormick also played a young Endora from the 60s series, "Bewitched," Sylvia Walters in "My Three Sons," and Maureen Sullivan from "Camp Runamuck." The little star also went on to do several voice-overs for twelve different Mattel-speaking dolls.

Having established herself as a budding young actress from a very early age, McCormick became among her generation's top American teen role models. Her iconic portrayal of Marcia from the insanely popular series "The Brady Bunch" further solidified her as a character adored by millions around the world.

The 70s classic garnered so much popularity and praise that spin-offs ("The Brady Kids," "The Brady Bunch Variety Hour," and "The Brady Brides" - to name a few) of the show accumulated extensively, of which McCormick was a part. McCormick was also known for her beautiful voice, which got discovered during her time on the show.

The kids from "The Brady Bunch" became a singing group called the Brady Kids as a side project kick-started by the show's success. McCormick's voice was so lovely it drew the attention of big-time producers, who then encouraged her to pursue recording singles of her own.

To the broader public, McCormick's life seemed flawless and perfect; however, she was hiding a deep level of pain that seemed insurmountable at the time.

Maureen Reveals The Truth Behind Marcia's Perfect Facade

To millions of viewers across the globe, Marcia Brady was the epitome of the ideal teenage girl. According to fans, she had everything going for her, and her life was seemingly perfect.

However, what was happening beneath the surface for McCormick was vastly different from what was being portrayed on-screen. McCormick was facing the most significant challenge and battle of her lifetime—addiction and an eating disorder.

In McCormick's tell-all biography, "Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice," the Hollywood actress gives the public detailed insight into and revelations about what her life was actually like off-camera. McCormick divulges how her lived reality had become the polar opposite of Marcia's:

"I had played Marcia Brady for five years. But I wasn't her in any way, shape, or form. She was perfect. I was anything but that."

McCormick gets very frank with the tough reality she faced as a young girl in Hollywood, battling with image issues that were in no way aligned with Marcia's perfect attitude and behavior. For a long time, she admitted to running away from her past:

"There was a point in my life when I wanted to run as far away as [possible] from the Bradys. [I wanted to] just shun it."

For the most part, McCormick maintained the facade of being happy quite well. Most people had no idea that the star was going through such a difficult time throughout most of her life.

However, signs that McCormick's life was taking a turn for the worse started becoming apparent. In "The Brady Bunch" episode "The Subject Was Noses," in which Marcia Brady's nose gets injured by a football, makeup prosthetics were not really needed, as McCormick had actually been involved in a car crash the weekend prior to filming the episode.

The "Fantasy Island" actress explained how she fell deeper and deeper into the drug scene in Hollywood as a teenager following her time on "The Brady Bunch" and how her 5-year drug addiction nearly ended her career and her life:

"I sought refuge in seemingly glamorous cocaine dens above Hollywood. I thought I would find answers there, [but] in reality, I was simply running farther from myself. From there, I spiraled downward on a path of self-destruction that cost me my career and very nearly my life."

McCormick exposed a specific time in her life when her addiction had gotten so bad that a several-day bender ultimately led her to miss out on a remarkable opportunity to work with the legendary Steven Spielberg. The "Texas Lightning" actress had turned up for an audition for "Raiders of the Lost Ark" looking completely chaotic, and Spielberg had simply provided her an orange before discounting her from the part.

Whenever there was cocaine involved, McCormick revealed that she had to partake every time, and the star admitted to doing it until there was essentially nothing left. The 70s talent informed her fans that she would frequent rehab and was once even placed in a psych ward for how bad things had gotten:

"Over the years, I battled drug addiction and bulimia. I was treated in a psych ward, went in and out of rehab, and looked to God for answers."

According to the Arizona Republic, McCormick's biographical book details unheard-of events that took place in her life that entirely eviscerate the picture-perfect image of Marcia Brady. McCormick felt compelled to play Marcia not just on-screen but also off-camera and keep up with the hugely sought-after all-American girl. However, when she met her husband, Michael Cummings, her life changed for the greater good.

McCormick reported on how meeting Cummings had essentially saved her life. Cummings had given her an ultimatum—either she stopped abusing drugs or he would leave her.

Today, the couple celebrates years and years of marital bliss and making it through all the ups and downs they have seen throughout their lifetimes. Cummings praises his wife for being courageous and strong while watching her confront her battles head-on.

McCormick loves to sing her husband's praises and explicitly states that Cummings has never let her down before ever, as their love continues to reach all-new heights. The family is extremely close-knit and spends ample time together.

Cummings was not the only one who took drastic measures to help McCormick overcome her longtime struggle; her parents were also a significant factor in the star deciding to stop her dangerous behaviors. According to McCormick, when her parents were at their last wit's end, they had threatened to turn her in to the police:

"My mom and dad, they almost turned me into the cops. They were at their last [because] they had been trying for years and knew something was going on, [even though] I was pretty sneaky and could hide [the issues] very well."

McCormick also suffered from depression and anxiety caused by a family secret that plagued her for many years. Her grandmother had contracted and died of syphilis while staying at a mental institution and passed this disease down to McCormick's mother while in utero.

Though her mother had been treated to prevent passing it down to her children, McCormick was still deeply troubled by the whole ordeal. The star even thought she had contracted the disease throughout her time in the series.

Other family secrets, such as her older brother also suffering from addiction in the early 70s and her father having an affair, kept McCormick in a constant state of depression.

McCormick also spoke about how her perfect image of Marcia created a gateway to her developing bulimia. She felt extreme pressure to conform to the highly-set beauty standards that the public had for her character on the show. Additionally, she had also suffered from several abortions at ages 18, 19, and 20.

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia was not only a heartthrob on TV but off-camera as well. The star has given insider knowledge about the abundant romantic flings she had during the pinnacle of her career.

At one point in her life, she had a brief relationship with her on-screen brother, Greg Brady, played by Barry Williams. McCormick remembers the very first kiss they shared while filming an episode in Hawaii that led to their romantic endeavors:

"It was our first kiss, and it was long, passionate, and deep. It was wonderful, too."

Though the 70s starlet enjoyed her kiss with Williams, she later went on to say how a part of her could not see past the fact that she was kissing her on-screen older brother.

Following her fling with Williams, McCormick had brief romantic exchanges with comedic actor Steve Martin. Though, like Williams, he was a good kisser and polite, McCormick recalls their encounter lasted only a short time because she was either consistently high or always nervous around him and never laughed at his jokes.

After briefly dating Martin, McCormick started going on dates with the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. The two had met while she was filming "The Brady Bunch" and when Jackson was still a part of The Jackson 5. McCormick recalls how sweet-natured Jackson was on their first ice-skating date, where he held her hand and gave her a light peck on the cheek at the end of their date.

McCormick looked back fondly on her brief romance with Jackson and mentioned how the two became friends that came to admire each other. She detailed how special the moments she shared with him were:

"We met them [The Jackson 5], I believe it was at some Attorney's place where we were all signing contracts, but you know, I was such a fan of theirs, and I was like, 'Oh my gosh,' and we just became friends and admired each other I think. He loved 'The Brady Bunch,' and his family did, and I used to go over to their house and watch them do moves, and hangout, and sing. It was such an incredible time."

Life Is Beautiful For Maureen Now

After overcoming the most trying period of her life, McCormick now lives a "Brady-like" lifestyle with her loving husband and beautiful daughter, Natalie Cummings. The actress credits her husband for helping her turn her life around after he stated that he would leave her if she failed to clean up her act:

"It woke me up. It was like the coldest shower you could ever take; there's just no way I'm [going to] lose some[one] that I love. We've been married now [for] 33 years [and] I just had a feeling that I could trust him with my whole heart and that he was so honest and such a beautiful human being."

McCormick loves to sing her husband's praises and explicitly states that Cummings has never let her down before ever, as their love continues to reach all-new heights. The family is extremely close-knit and spends ample time together.

McCormick alum has seen her fair share of ups and downs and has come out on the other side extremely grateful to be where she is today. She says she is no longer plagued by the picture-perfect Marcia and has learned to make peace with the unachievable expectations that came with the character:

"It took most of my life, countless mistakes, and decades of pain and suffering to reach this point of equanimity and acceptance."

In an interview with "Today With Hoda & Jenna" back in 2020, McCormick spoke about her partnership with the Special Olympics. Her involvement is one that was born out of a personal affiliation because one of her older brothers, Dennis McCormick, was born with special needs. Talking with the show's hosts, McCormick opened up about how important the organization is to her:

"I'm so excited! So yeah, I have a brother with special needs, and when Denny was born, my father, who [was] a school teacher, then started working with special needs students. He fought his whole life, and so did my mom to give Denny and all of his friends and all of my father's students the best life possible. So, I saw them sacrifice everything for Denny."

When speaking about her relationship with her brother, McCormick spoke fondly of their special bond. Now, with her parents no longer around, the Hollywood actress and her husband serve as his conservators. McCormick reported:

"My husband and I are conservators over Denny, and he's one of our greatest joys and gifts. He is so pure [and] his heart is amazing. I just am so excited to be working with Special Olympics to help spread inclusion and to end discrimination."

According to McCormick, Dennis is a lovely, sociable person who enjoys spending time with people. He has a wonderful personality, which McCormick says makes her a better person.

Since her time on "The Brady Bunch" and conquering her dark past with the help of family and friends, McCormick's career is back in full swing. In 2005, she won "Celebrity Fit Club," a VH1 reality show about weight loss.

In 2008, the actress starred in "Gone Country," a country music television show, and "Outsiders Inn." McCormick also starred in the very first season of the popular Australian series, "I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!," and placed fourth.

This show, in particular, was quite a feat for McCormick because, according to her husband, it was the first time the star had decided to get off the anti-depressants she was taking.

"The Million Dollar Kid" actress was also on the 23rd season of "Dancing With The Stars" (DWTS), and though she did not win, she accomplished many feats and top placements during her run.

McCormick has also revived her singing career, and following her time on "The Brady Bunch," released a solo country album called "When You Get A Little Lonely" in 1995. Though she continues to pursue career opportunities, the 70s icon keeps her family as her main focus and priority.