Veteran singer-songwriter Chynna Phillips has revealed the challenges her recent move has created in her 29-year marriage to actor Billy Baldwin. Phillips shared her vulnerability in a candid video on her YouTube channel, discussing the couple's communication breakdowns and her own struggles with expressing her emotions.
Chynna Phillips, known for her iconic vocals in the pop music trio Wilson Phillips, has opened up about the recent struggles in her marriage to actor Billy Baldwin. In a revealing video posted on her faith-based YouTube channel, "California Preachin,'" the 56-year-old singer shared the difficulties she and the 61-year-old actor faced after relocating to the West Coast.
Phillips admitted that the move had created a "perfect breeding ground" for disagreements, leading to frequent bickering and arguments. She highlighted the importance of effective communication, explaining that she had learned the hard way that holding back her emotions only worsened the situation.
"I was really proud of myself because we started arguing this morning, and he was like, 'What do you want?' And I was like, 'I want to communicate properly. I want us to have effective communication,'" Phillips recalled.
After expressing her need for improved communication, Phillips said that both she and Baldwin "gained [their] composure" and were able to have a productive conversation about their concerns. She emphasized the significance of open and honest communication, especially in intimate relationships.
"Billy's my life partner. I mean, he's the one I want to have the healthiest relationship with. He's the one that I want to be able to talk to when I'm feeling the most vulnerable or the most upset or the most sensitive or the most in fear. He's the one I want to be able to say, 'Oh, my gosh, I need to talk to you,'" Phillips said.
However, she acknowledged that she often held back from expressing her true feelings out of a desire to avoid conflict.
"A lot of times I don't because I don't want to rock the boat, or I don't want to put him in a bad mood, or I'm walking on some eggshells," she admitted.
Phillips explained that these breakdowns in communication are "partially [her] fault" and that she takes responsibility for her role in the struggles.
"I need to learn to trust him and speak up and trust that he'll be able to handle my emotions," she said.
The five-time Grammy Award nominee went on to express her reluctance to share her feelings with Baldwin out of a fear of triggering his anxiety or depression.
"It just comes down to me not wanting to trigger him, but the truth is that me having that fear is keeping us from true intimacy, because it's preventing me from opening up to him, and I'm trying to guard his feelings, and yet I'm causing more trouble in our marriage by doing that," Phillips said.
Phillips and Baldwin first met at an airport in 1991 and married four years later. They share three children: daughters Jameson, 24, and Brooke, 19, and son Vance, 22. However, their marriage has not been without its challenges over the years.
In March 2010, Phillips filed for divorce from Baldwin but withdrew her petition just days later. In an interview with Us Weekly at the time, Phillips explained her reasons for filing.
"I started to feel a little flatlined, like I need more and want more, and I know we deserve more from our marriage," Phillips said. "It became so about the children and so about my business, his business, and I missed him. I really missed him. I missed laughing together, taking our little vacations together."
Phillips revealed that she had been feeling "hopeless" about their marriage but had a change of heart after realizing that divorcing Baldwin would be the "biggest mistake of [her] life." She credited therapy with helping them to overcome the rough patch.
In recent months, Phillips and Baldwin have been open about marital problems they have faced in recent years. In a January video on her YouTube channel, Phillips disclosed that the couple had "separated for six months" but eventually reconciled.
Phillips attributed the disconnect to her newfound dedication to Christianity.
"I've been with Billy for 32 years, and we have an awesome marriage, but we definitely had the hardest couple years of our lives," she said. "I think it's because I just took the deep dive into Jesus, and I think he didn't quite know what to do with that because it was kind of all Jesus, all the time."
Later that month, Baldwin joined Phillips in a YouTube video where they candidly discussed their marital woes. They acknowledged the six-month separation but insisted that they had "worked through it."
Baldwin admitted that he and Phillips have a "systemic problem" in their relationship, as they view the world through different lenses.
"You and I have this sort of systemic problem in our relationship, which is that you see your life and the world through a very different lens than I do," Phillips told Baldwin.
"And sometimes that tends to cause ruptures in our relationship and little chasms, and we are trying our best to be able to navigate those differences in our marriage," she continued.
Baldwin expressed his ongoing love and support for Phillips despite their challenges.
"You would never divorce me, but would we be able to stay truly happy and connected and thrive with me being on this trajectory - this Jesus trajectory?" Phillips asked.
Baldwin joked that Phillips had a fantasy of them becoming a revival team, which she quickly dismissed.
"It hasn't become sort of the partnership that you've yearned for or hoping for," Baldwin responded. "But I still absolutely love you, absolutely adore you, and completely support you in your faith."
