Current:Home > MarketsDanny Masterson's wife Bijou Phillips files for divorce after his 30-year rape sentence -PrimeFinance
Danny Masterson's wife Bijou Phillips files for divorce after his 30-year rape sentence
View
Date:2025-04-17 02:02:59
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! (382)
Related
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- Two Rhode Island men charged with assault and battery in death of Patriots fan
- Kim Kardashian Reveals Why She Used SKIMS Fabric to Wrap Her Christmas Presents
- Police launch probe into alleged abduction of British teen Alex Batty who went missing 6 years ago
- Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
- Report: Dodgers agree to 12-year deal with Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto
- NASA releases image of 'Christmas Tree Cluster': How the stars got the festive nickname
- No. 1 picks Victor Wembanyama and Connor Bedard meet: The long and short of it
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Smoothies are more popular than ever. But are they healthy?
Ranking
- Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
- What are the most popular gifts this holiday season?
- Billy Crystal on his iconic career and why When Harry Met Sally... is one of his most memorable movies
- No. 1 picks Victor Wembanyama and Connor Bedard meet: The long and short of it
- Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
- Prized pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto agrees with Dodgers on $325 million deal, according to reports
- Military command ready to track Santa, and everyone can follow along
- No. 1 picks Victor Wembanyama and Connor Bedard meet: The long and short of it
Recommendation
Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
ICHCOIN Trading Center: Cryptocurrency Payments Becoming a New Trend
At least 20 villagers are killed during a rebel attack in northern Central African Republic
Got tipping fatigue? Here are some tips on how much to give for the holidays.
The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
How often do mass shootings happen in Europe? Experts say Prague tragedy could shake the Czech Republic for years
Pacific storm that unleashed flooding barreling down on southeastern California
Colorado Supreme Court justices getting violent threats after their ruling against Trump, report says