Phillips' aunt, Esther Pauline "Eppie" Lederer—Pauline's twin sister and the final columnist of the "Ask Ann Landers" advice column—died in June 2002. In addition to penning a tribute column, Phillips read a poem about her aunt on "Larry King Live". In an interview with the "South Florida Sun-Sentinel" in 2001, Lederer said: "Jeanne has been working with her mother for 20 years, and it seems to be a perfect fit." Lederer's daughter, Margo Howard, wrote an advice column for 45 years until 2013. After Phillips' appearance on "Larry King Live", her cousin Howard censured her. Phillips said: "The term a lot of people have been using is feud. All I can say, and this is from my heart to yours, there's no feud on my part. I wish my cousin the best."