Current:Home > ContactDanny Masterson's wife Bijou Phillips files for divorce after his 30-year rape sentence -MoneyStream
Danny Masterson's wife Bijou Phillips files for divorce after his 30-year rape sentence
View
Date:2025-04-28 13:28:11
Bijou Phillips Masterson has filed for divorce from husband Danny Masterson over a week after he was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women.
Phillips filed a petition to end their 11-year marriage on Monday in Santa Barbara court, according to court documents reviewed by USA TODAY. TMZ was first to report the news.
Phillips cited irreconcilable differences as the reason and listed the date of their separation as "TBD." Her petition, signed Sept. 15, requested spousal support as well as restoration of her name to Bijou Phillips and full legal and physical custody of their daughter, with Masterson receiving child visitation.
The two married October 2011 and share a 9-year-old daughter, Fianna Francis Masterson, together.
USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Phillips and Masterson for further information.
Phillips stood by Masterson throughout his two trials. She wept when the guilty verdicts were read on May 31 and showed similar emotion at times during his Sept. 7 sentencing hearing, when a judge handed down the maximum sentence allowed by law to the 47-year-old actor. Masterson will be eligible for parole after serving 25½ years but can be held in prison for life.
A jury of seven women and five men had found Masterson guilty of two counts of rape after seven days of deliberations. Both attacks took place in Masterson's Hollywood-area home in 2003 when he was at the height of his fame on the Fox sitcom "That '70s Show." The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on a third count, an allegation that Masterson also raped a longtime girlfriend.
Masterson maintains his innocence, and his attorneys have said they plan to appeal, contending there were problems with evidence and constitutional issues with his conviction.
Bijou Phillips called Danny Masterson an 'extraordinary husband' a month before divorce
In the character reference letter she wrote in support of her husband last month before his sentencing, Phillips said Masterson has been "a life-saving partner to me" over the course of 19 years together.
"Danny is an amazing father. Our daughter and I are heartbroken that he is not home with us. It has been very difficult without him here," she wrote. "We need him more than you can imagine. I know he has been convicted of serious crimes. But the man I married has only been an extraordinary husband to me and a devoted father to our daughter."
The letter, addressed to Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo and dated Aug. 14, was among dozens that Masterson's family and friends wrote — made public by The Hollywood Reporter — urging leniency in his sentencing.
Who is Bijou Phillips?
Phillips, daughter of "The Mamas and the Papas" singer-songwriter John Phillips and actor Genevieve Waite, was a model as a teenager and released an album before shifting to acting.
She has appeared in films including "Almost Famous" and television shows including "Raising Hopes" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."
Ashton Kutcherresigns from anti-child sex abuse nonprofit after supporting Danny Masterson
Contributing: Associated Press
veryGood! (14)
Related
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- MLB's quadrupleheader madness: What to watch in four crucial Division Series matchups
- Patriots' Jabrill Peppers put on NFL's commissioner exempt list after charges
- From baby boomers to Gen Z, no one knows how to talk about sex. Here's why.
- McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
- Mega Millions winning numbers for October 8 drawing: Jackpot rises to $129 million
- A Celebration of Bella Hadid's Riskiest Looks: Sheer Dresses, Catsuits and Freeing the Nipple
- As schools ban mobile phones, parents seek a 'safe' option for kids
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- DONKOLO: The Revolutionary Power of Blockchain Technology, Transforming the Global Innovation Engine
Ranking
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- Tennessee officials dispute ruling that gave voting rights back to 4 people who can’t have guns
- Influencer Caroline Calloway Says She Will Not Evacuate Florida Home Ahead of Hurricane Milton
- Their mom survived the hurricane, but the aftermath took her life
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- Why RHOSLC's Lisa Barlow Is Calling This Costar a F--king B--ch
- Feeling stressed about the election? Here’s what some are doing and what they say you can do too
- Jennifer Lopez Breaks Silence on Ben Affleck Divorce
Recommendation
The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
Lawyers: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs seeks trial next April or May on sex trafficking charges
Shop Prime Day 2024 Beauty Deals From 52 Celebrities: Kyle Richards, Sydney Sweeney, Kandi Burruss & More
DONKOLO: Bitcoin Leading a New Era of Digital Assets
IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
Piers Morgan apologizes to Jay-Z and Beyoncé after Jaguar Wright interview
Climate change boosted Helene’s deadly rain and wind and scientists say same is likely for Milton
Acting or hosting, Travis Kelce wants to continue to pursue a showbiz career. But first, football