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Actress and model Bijou Phillips has filed for divorce from Danny Masterson just 12 days after he was sentenced to 30 years in prison. According to court documents, the Raising Hope actress filed for the dissolution of her marriage on Monday, September 18, 2023.
The couple has been married for nearly 12 years and share a 9-year-old daughter. Phillips stood by Masterson throughout the trial and had written one of several character letters urging for leniency before the sentencing hearing, calling him a "life-saving partner."
For the uninitiated, Masterson was sentenced to 30 years in prison on September 5, after he was found guilty on two counts of s*xual assault on May 31. The incidents took place between 2000 and 2003 and the victims were members of the Scientology church, which allegedly warned them against reporting the crime at the time.
Bijou Phillips started dating Danny Masterson in 2004 after meeting at a poker tournament in Las Vegas
The 43-year-old actress, model, and singer is the daughter of musician John Phillips and actress Geneviève Waïte. She began her career as a model when she was 13 but soon moved to acting. Philips is remembered for her roles in Almost Famous, Hostel: Part II, and Tart.
The now-estranged couple got engaged in 2009 after dating for about five years following their first meeting in 2004 at a celebrity poker tournament, as per TODAY. They got married in 2011 and their daughter, Fianna Francis, was born in 2014.
During her soon-to-be ex-husband's trial, the actress was often seen in and out of court with him, as a show of solidarity. After Masterson's sentence was announced, a source revealed to PEOPLE that Bijou Phillips was reportedly left "distraught."
Philips has cited irreconcilable differences as a reason for the divorce, but the date of separation is listed as TBD (To Be Declared). She is asking for spousal support, attorneys fees, and that her legal name be restored to Bijou Phillips.
Additionally, the 43-year-old actress is seeking legal and physical custody of their daughter, but will allow her to visit her father as he serves his prison sentence.
According to a statement by Bijou Phillips's lawyer, Peter A. Lauzon:
"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."
Masterson initially went to trial in October 2022, but a deadlock among the jurors caused a mistrial. A retrial began on April 17, 2023, and the actor was found guilty on May 31.
Danny Masterson is currently held at the Men's Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles. Bijou Phillips had previously expressed concern for his well-being.
Masterson has maintained he is not guilty and his lawyers vowed they would file an appeal.
