Back when Marcia Brady suffered that immortal injury of being hit in the nose with a football, Maureen McCormick was the very embodiment of innocence, which makes the truth about the troubles she would ultimately face in her own life even more shocking.Today, in “Access Hollywood’s” new interview, we uncover some details on how she fought off drugs, depression and an eating disorder to finally become the woman America always wanted her to be.In the boxing gym, “Access” host Billy Bush comments on the scene.“The metaphor is powerful, what we’re doing here today,” he says to Maureen.“Ah! My nose,” Maureen giggles.“You get knocked down, you come back and you keep swinging,” Billy notes.“And you keep fighting,” she replies. “You gotta keep swingin’ and fightin’. You have to.”At 50, Maureen McCormick is one tough lady making a remarkable rebound after a traumatic year of dealing with the death of her mother and having to put her mentally challenged brother in a home because her elderly father could no longer care for him.“Spent the day in bed with the covers over my head,” she sighs. “Depression.”That depression led to a ballooning waistline but Maureen didn’t hide for long.Maureen hung it all out for the world to see.“I did ‘Celebrity Fit Club’ — how more humiliating and out there can you get then like going, I mean I felt naked on that show,” she says.She also rose to the challenge, shedding 35 pounds by kick boxing 5-days-a-week.But taking off a little extra weight was nothing compared to the demons she had conquered years ago.“Would you say that you were addicted to cocaine or just did too much for a while?” Billy asks.“No, I’d say that I was definitely addicted,” she replies noting she did coke everyday.A cocaine addict for five years, beginning at age 18, Maureen also battled bulimia, and there was more.“I took diet pills to get skinnier and to stay up and have more energy,” she says.“Did you have to go to rehab or anything like that or did you just do it yourself,” Billy asks.“I did go to rehab,” she notes. “Quite a few times.”
Faith in God and a never-say-die spirit helped Maureen survive the dark times. Her candor having the added benefit of bringing her closer to her 17-year-old daughter Natalie.“And she knows that if she gets into any problems or anything that she can come to me and I’ll help her,” Maureen says. “All I want is the best for her.