The Untold Truth Of Danny Masterson's Wife, Bijou Phillips
The following article includes mentions of drug use, rape, and sexual assault.
For years, actor Danny Masterson has found himself under a cloud of rape allegations that came to light as part of the #MeToo movement — but his wife Bijou Phillips is no stranger to controversy herself. From accusations of harassment and assault, to her history of drug use, the "Almost Famous" actor comes from a family that's also been marred by scandal, as she's the daughter of John Phillips, lead singer for The Mamas and The Papas, who reportedly had an incestuous relationship with Bijou's half-sister Mackenzie. (Her song, "When I Hated Him," supposedly captures how Bijou felt about her father during her younger days.)
But now, amid Masterson's conviction and subsequent sentencing, Bijou's on track to distance herself from another controversial figure in her life as she filed for divorce from the "That '70s Show" actor on September 19, per TMZ. Although legal documents list their separation date as "TBD," Bijou's attorney, Peter A. Lauzon, told the outlet, "Ms. Phillips has decided to file for divorce from her husband during this unfortunate time. Her priority remains with her daughter. This period has been unimaginably hard on the marriage and the family."
While Bijou's future as the soon-to-be ex-Mrs. Masterson remains unclear, let's take a look back at what's happened during her lifetime in the spotlight.
Bijou Phillips suffered from drug addiction during her teenage years
Bijou Phillips launched her modeling career at age 13 and quickly became enveloped by the party scene that often comes with that sort of lifestyle. Much like her father, John Phillips, Bijou became addicted to drugs and per his request, she checked into rehab and sobered up by age 21. "If you were 14 years old and able to live on your own in an apartment in New York City, and you got invited to all these clubs, and you got a bank account and you had a car service you could call so that you could go wherever you wanted, what would happen?" she told The Guardian in 2002.
Bijou added that she's "happy that I got all that out of the way, out of my system, when I was a kid." And despite echoing her half-sisters' — Mackenzie and Chynna — hatred for their father during her early years, retrospect helped her see how much he truly cared for her, especially after his drug use led to heart failure and, ultimately, his death.
"My dad was a great dad," Bijou told The Guardian. "An awesome dad. He had his own problems. He took custody of me, he took me to school every single day, made me breakfast, picked me up, made me dinner. When I used to be angry at him, it wasn't really my anger... Now it's like, 'Wow, he did such a good job.'"
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse and mental health, please contact SAMHSA's 24-hour National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Bijou Phillips conquered kidney disease after a 'fortunate' transplant
Although actor Bijou Phillips and her family kept her diagnosis secret for some time, she revealed her battle with kidney disease in February 2017 when TMZ reported Phillips had been hospitalized for a blood infection. Danny Masterson subsequently told Entertainment Tonight he was "optimistic" that his wife would find a compatible donor and receive the life-saving transplant she needed.
According to Masterson's official statement, Phillips "was born with small kidneys and has been quietly dealing with kidney disease for the last five years." He added that, in addition to being on the transplant list, Phillips led a stress-free life and maintained a vegan diet "to heal her body," but this approach wasn't enough, and she eventually began "privately having dialysis" to sustain her bodily functions. But, as Masterson noted, Phillips discovered that one of her friends was a match and she received her transplant in time.
"My lady has been [slowly] dying for the past 7 years of an incurable kidney disease. She was given the gift of an encore by a tall angel," Masterson posted on Instagram after Phillios' surgery. "Our daughter will have a mother. We do not take lightly how incredibly fortunate we are," he wrote. "100% successful transplant... Our deepest gratitude to a perfect transplant team. And a life owed to a tall drink of water."
Bijou Phillips and Danny Masterson are both Scientologists
According to an interview with Paper (via E! News), Bijou Phillips and Danny Masterson met at a celebrity poker tournament in Las Vegas in 2005. While the two were seated next to each other, Phillips noted that Masterson paid her little attention. "Every guy at the table was flirting with me but Danny," Phillips noted. "He wasn't laughing at my jokes. I was like, 'Who is this Danny Masterson and what does he think he's doing?'" It wasn't until after the game that the two realized how much they had in common.
While both came to fame as children, Phillios and Masterson also discovered they were members of the Church of Scientology — and both feel incredibly strongly about their shared religion. Phillips voiced her disdain for psychiatrists, explaining that her "grandparents didn't take any pills and they were fine," and Masterson echoed that sentiment.
"You will not find a Scientologist who does not f**king hate psychiatrists," he explained. "Because their solution for mental and spiritual problems is drugs. So let's talk about putting a Band-Aid on something that's just going to get worse and worse and worse...Scientology handles those things, those mental problems that people have. It gets rid of them. It gets rid of them by that person doing it for themselves."
Bijou Phillips has been accused of homophobia and physical abuse
Given her background, it may be unsurprising to know that Bijou Phillips has a troubling history of violence and emotionally abusive outbursts herself. In 2017, actor Daniel Franzese, who came out as gay in 2014, revealed that Phillips harassed him while filming the 2001 film "Bully," per TMZ. "She body shamed me and ridiculed me about my sexuality and physically assaulted me," he said on Facebook.
According to Franzese, Phillips, who was 20 at the time, would repeatedly and loudly ask him in front of others whether he was gay, twist his nipple through his shirt, and at one point, kicked him in the head so hard he thought he had a concussion. Per the Los Angeles Times, she would also mock Franzese about his weight by comparing him to singer Carnie Wilson, and even "[rubbed] her dirty feet on my neck" while sitting behind him. "The way I was treated in that hostile work environment gave me a PTSD that had me stay closeted for a long time," he added.
When Franzese made the accusations, Phillips told TMZ that she was "a teenager and reckless in my behavior," and that those years were "a blur." "I am so mortified by this behavior," Phillips added. "I am not and never have been homophobic. I have nothing but love for the LGBTQ community and Daniel." Franzese responded by publicly accepting her apology via Twitter.
Bijou Phillips allegedly strangled a co-star
Daniel Franzese is not the only co-star to have accused Bijou Phillips of physical abuse. In 2017, shortly after Franzese made his allegations public, actor Heather Matarazzo, with whom Phillips worked alongside for the 2007 movie, "Hostel: Part II," revealed that she had been pushed up against a wall, choked, and threatened by Phillips at a pre-production party shortly before filming for the movie began.
"She had thrown me up against a wall and put her hands around my neck ... and choked me for a good 15, 20 seconds," Matarazzo told Franzese in an episode of her podcast, "Shut Up and Listen." "I mean, I've experienced some horrifying moments in my life, and I count that to be one of them." Matarazzo said she had been sober for around a year and did not drink at the party or take any pills for jet lag. This led Phillips to attack her, during which she allegedly said, "I'm going to make sure that you relapse on this film." Matarazzo did not end up relapsing nor, like Franzese, did she tell the producers of the incident for fear of any potential repercussions.
Both Franzese and Matarazzo said on the podcast that part of the reason why they finally spoke out was so Phillips could make amends with the other people she has hurt in her life. Unlike Franzese, however, there's no word on whether or not Matarazzo received an apology.
Bijou Phillips has defended her husband and father amid rape accusations
It is no secret that both Bijou Phillips' husband, Danny Masterson, and father, John Phillips, have been accused of shocking sexual assaults. Bijou's paternal half-sister Mackenzie, who is 21 years her senior, publicly revealed in 2009 — eight years after their father's death — that she and John had a years-long sexual relationship. This began when John raped her when she was blackout drunk at 19 and turned into what she described as a "consensual" relationship (via ABC News).
Although Mackenzie and Bijou's half-sister Chynna, daughter of Michelle Phillips, and Jessica Woods, daughter of John's The Mamas and The Papas bandmate, Denny Doherty, both said they not only believed Mackenzie's allegations, but had been told of them years before they were made public, Bijou has made statements defending her father. "I'm 29 now, I've talked to everyone who was around during that time, I've asked the hard questions. I do not believe my sister," she said at the time, per NBC. "Our father is many things, This is not one of them."
When it came to her husband's many damning allegations, Phillips also showed her support. "Bijou has been a total rock," a source close told Us Weekly. "She fully supports him and says they'll get through this nightmare together and come out stronger." However, time and circumstance have seemingly proven too much for their relationship to endure.
Bijou Phillips was distraught over Danny Masterson's sentencing
Bijou Phillips remained by husband Danny Masterson's side ever since he was accused of raping and sexually assaulting several women. Even as Masterson received his conviction, Phillips was in the courtroom to show her support. In September 2023, the "That '70s Show" actor was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women, per BBC. Phillips was there when the sentence was read and reportedly broke down into tears. As time has passed, it hasn't gotten any easier for the fellow actor.
Per People, Phillips was completely shocked by the results of the case. A source told the outlet, "She wasn't prepared for the verdict. She never expected him to be found guilty. She couldn't believe that he was taken into custody right away and remanded." Yet, while it seemed as if Phillips planned to stand by Masterson as his lawyers work to appeal his sentence, the actor officially filed for divorce on September 19, citing "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for dissolving their marriage, per TMZ. According to legal documents obtained by the outlet, Phillips is seeking spousal support, attorneys fees, and her restored legal name. She also wants legal and physical custody of their daughter, but will allow Masterson visitation, as Phillips agrees that he's always been a good father.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit RAINN.org for additional resources.