Danny Masterson's Wife Bijou Phillips Had A Fling With Leonardo DiCaprio
Danny Masterson's wife, Bijou Phillips, is no stranger to the press. The daughter of The Mamas & the Papas frontman John Phillips grew up in the spotlight and, as The Guardian noted in a 2002 profile, that didn't do her any favors. She started modeling at 13, dropped out of school at 14, and became a tabloid staple thanks to her partying and wild antics. She eventually went to rehab at 20 and, after getting sober, devoted herself to acting. She made it through the lowest point in her own life, but now, she's watching her husband reckon with his own dark past.
Recently, Phillips' name has been back in the press for a painful reason, as she's remained by her husband's side throughout his headline-making court cases. Masterson, who became a household name thanks to "That '70s Show," managed to avoid the curse of the one-hit wonder and continued to work steadily, landing lead roles on shows like "Men at Work" and "The Ranch." However, he fell from grace in 2017 when he was hit with a growing number of rape allegations. He denied all accusations brought against him, but soon after, he was booted from his Netflix show and in 2020, he was arrested and formally charged.
So who is Bijou Phillips, and what was her high-flying life like before she married Danny Masterson?
Leonardo DiCaprio played a big role in Bijou Phillips' life
Bijou Phillips has some high-profile exes. Among them is none other than Leonardo DiCaprio whose dating history is certainly long and varied. Back in the late '90s, the actor was linked to Phillips and the pair reportedly dated for a brief period of time in 1998. While nothing came of their romance, DiCaprio did have a very lasting impact on Phillips' life. That's because he actually helped set her on the path to acting success.
One of Phillips' first appearances on film was in 1999's "Black & White" and it was none other than DiCaprio who helped her land the part. The actor apparently spotted Bijou partying at Bowery Bar one night and was so taken aback by her unabashed dancing on top of a table that he called the movie's writer and director, James Toback, to tell him all about it. "She's crazy," DiCaprio told Toback on that fateful call, as reported by The Guardian. "You've got to come and see her." It seems Toback did and was equally entranced, as he gave Phillips the role. That, in turn, led to a solid acting career for the former wild child.
Interestingly, Phillips also found her next flame on the movie's set and dated her co-star, Elijah Wood, for a while in 1998. "Now he's a Hobbit!" she jokingly told The Guardian in 2002. "Did you see that yet? 'Lord of the Rings.' It's so fun."
Inside Bijou Phillips' relationship with Danny Masterson
After stints dating Leonardo DiCaprio and Elijah Wood, Bijou Phillips married another actor, Danny Masterson. The pair met in 2004 at a celebrity poker tournament in Las Vegas and it was not love at first sight. Masterson admitted to Paper (via Us Weekly) in 2009 that he judged her based on tabloid headlines and initially dismissed her. "Every guy at the table was flirting with me but Danny," Phillips told the mag. "He wasn't laughing at my jokes. I was like, 'Who is this Danny Masterson and what does he think he's doing?'" That all changed once he got to know her and they married in Ireland in 2011. Then, in 2014, they welcomed a daughter they called Fianna.
In 2017 when Masterson was accused of sexual assault. The actor denied every allegation. In 2020, he was arrested and charged with raping three women. He pleaded not guilty and his trial began in October 2022 but ended in a mistrial when the jury couldn't reach a unanimous verdict. In April 2023, Masterson was retried and found guilty of raping two women in 2003 -– a verdict accompanied by a sentence of 30 years to life in prison.
A source told People Phillips was "shocked and devastated" by the verdict and that "she never expected him to be found guilty." However, "no matter what happens though, Bijou supports him," the source added. "She has no plans to leave him."