Bijou Phillips files for divorce following Danny Masterson’s rape sentencing

Less than two weeks after Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for the rape of two women, his wife Bijou Phillips has filed for divorce.

In a statement to THR, Bijou Phillips’ lawyer Peter Lauzon said, “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. Mr. Masterson was always present for Ms. Phillips during her most difficult times of her life. Ms. Phillips acknowledges that Mr. Masterson is a wonderful father to their daughter.” Bijou Phillips stood by her husband throughout his legal battles, and insiders had claimed that she had no plans to file for divorce after sentencing, so this news has come as a surprise to many.

Rape allegations against Danny Masterson emerged in 2017, which led to him being fired from The Ranch, the Netflix comedy series in which he starred alongside Ashton Kutcher. In June 2020, he was officially charged with raping a 23-year-old woman in 2001, a 28-year-old woman in early 2003, and a 23-year-old woman in late 2003. The actor’s first trial was declared a mistrial, but the second found him guilty. Danny Masterson has denied all of the rape allegations against him and didn’t testify at either trial.

Prior to the sentencing, more than fifty people wrote letters to Judge Charlaine Olmedo to voice their support for Danny Masterson and to urge for a lesser sentence. Two of the people who wrote letters were Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, who starred alongside Masterson on That ’70s Show. Kutcher and Kunis both received backlash for the letters, prompting an apology video and Kutcher resigning as chairman of Thorn, his anti-sex abuse organization.

“After my wife and I spent several days of listening, personal reflection, learning and conversations with survivors and the employees and leadership at Thorn, I have determined the responsible thing for me to do is resign as chairman of the board, effective immediately,” Kutcher said in the resignation letter. “I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve.“