The petition for divorce was filed just a few short weeks after he was found guilty in the rape case he was involved in in Los Angeles.
According to information obtained by ET, Bijou Phillips, who is married to Danny Masterson and has been married for over 12 years, has filed for divorce.
Documents from the court that were acquired by ET indicate that Phillips submitted the application on Monday in the Santa Barbara County Court. The filing of the complaint comes only a few short weeks after the actor from That ’70s Show was found guilty of rape in Los Angeles and sentenced to 30 years to life in prison. Two women who had previously been associated with the Church of Scientology were the victims of two separate acts of forceful rape, and the perpetrator was found guilty on both counts.
In the court records, Phillips specifies that the date of separation is “TBD.” “Irreconcilable differences” are the reason she gives for the divorce of the marriage, she says. She is asking for spousal support, reimbursement for her lawyers bills, and for her legal name to be changed back to Phillips. Additionally, Phillips wants to have both legal and physical custody of their daughter, Fianna Francis Masterson, who is nine years old, and she is ready to let Masterson have visiting rights.
“Ms. Phillips has chosen to file for divorce from her husband at this awful time,” Peter A. Lauzon, Phillips’ attorney, said in a statement to ET. “This tragic moment has caused Ms. Her daughter continues to be her number one concern.
He went on to say that this time had an unimaginable negative impact on the marriage as well as the family. When Ms. Phillips was going through some of the worst moments of her life, Mr. Masterson was there for her every step of the way. Ms. Phillips recognizes that Mr. Masterson is a fantastic parent to their daughter and expresses her gratitude in this regard.
The revelation was first reported on by TMZ.
After news surfaced in March 2018 that Masterson was being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department for several sexual assault charges going back to the early 2000s, Phillips remained by Masterson’s side throughout the whole of the investigation, which began more than six years ago. The allegations against Masterson date back to the early 2000s. Masterson denied the allegations, and he subsequently issued a lengthy statement in which he claimed, among other things, that the women only came forward with their allegations after they were contacted by actress Leah Remini, a former member of the Church of Scientology who was also the driving force behind the A&E documentary series Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, which aimed to shed light on the church.
On May 31, Phillips was there in the courtroom for the verdict that found Masterson guilty. This caused her to let out a wailing sound. The judge, Charlaine F. Olmedo, subsequently instructed the actress to maintain her calm or else she would be asked to leave the courtroom.
The mother of Phillips and Masterson, Carol Masterson, became noticeably distressed during the whole of the sentence session. Phillips never removed her sunglasses and maintained a calm demeanor throughout the ordeal. After that, Phillips and Masterson’s mother were hurriedly loaded into a car that was waiting for them. Christopher, Masterson’s brother, was also present at the court for the sentence to be handed out.
Phillips had come looking sombre, accompanied by the Mastersons who stood on each side of him. Phillips, who was dressed in a button down shirt and pants, did not interact with anybody and seemed to be oblivious to what was going on around her. She seemed calm and collected as she entered the courtroom.
Masterson, who was 47 years old at the time, and Phillips, who was 43 years old, tied the knot in a private ceremony on October 18, 2011, in a tiny village in Ireland. On February 14, 2014, the couple became parents to a girl named Fianna.
After just three years, a representative for the actress revealed that she had “quietly been dealing with kidney disease” for years. In April of 2017, Phillips had a kidney transplant procedure, which was a success. After the operation, Masterson went on social media to express his admiration for her bravery and congratulate her.
“For the past seven years, my lady has been suffering from an incurable kidney disease, and her condition has only gotten worse.” “A tall angel blessed her with another performance and gave her the gift of an encore,” he said in the description of the photo. “We are going to find a mother for our daughter. We do not minimize the tremendous good fortune that has been bestowed upon us. The transplant was a complete success. It is time for her to get down to the serious business of eliminating any possibility of being turned down. Our most sincere appreciation goes out to the wonderful transplant team. And a life that owes its existence to a mighty draught of water.”
In the same year, however, there was also a scandal that occurred when Mean Girls actor Daniel Franzese accused the actress of being emotionally and physically abusive when they performed together in the film Bully in the year 2001. Specifically, Franzese, who came out as homosexual in 2014, said that she frequently questioned him whether he was gay when they were filming Bully. She did this many times, she said. Franzese claims that she yelled the next day, “Oh look!,” in response to his response that he was bisexual. The homosexual male has arrived!
Franzese reportedly said that Phillips severely twisted his nipple and kicked him in the head as they were shooting the scene. He said that he was kicked so severely that he was unsure whether or not he had sustained a concussion.
Phillips stated that she did not remember Franzese’s particular charges in a statement that she sent to TMZ. However, she noted that “those years” were “a blur.”
“When I was a teenager, I behaved in a way that was quite risky. “I know Daniel to be a trustworthy and honest person, and it made me so sad to find out through social media that I was not the friend that I thought I was to him,” she told the source. “I found out through social media that I was not the friend that I thought I was to him.” “I am so embarrassed by this behavior, and I have apologized to Daniel in a private conversation. Please accept my apologies.” I have never been homophobic, and I don’t intend to start now. I feel nothing but love and support for Daniel and the LGBTQ community as a whole.
After some time had passed, Franzese resorted to social media to announce that he had accepted her apologies.