Danny Masterson’s wife, Bijou Phillips, has filed for divorce almost two weeks after he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for rape.
Phillips reportedly filed to legally end her marriage to the “That ’70s Show’ star on Monday in a California courthouse.
Prior to this, Phillips stood firmly by her convicted husband, with some inaccurate reports claiming that she had no plans to divorce her husband.
Bijou Phillips Files To Divorce Danny Masterson
It makes sense, considering Danny Masterson was recently sentenced to 30 years in prison for two counts of rape and won’t see the light of day for a very long time.
According to court documents, she filed for separation on Monday, September 18. This divorce filing comes as a huge shock, as previous reports claimed that she had no plans to split from the actor and was standing firmly by him despite his crimes.
It should be noted, that there might be insurance and financial issues behind the decision — considering she could have pulled the trigger anytime during his criminal hearings. Also, this could have been the plan all along, because divorcing him during the trial might have made him look guilty.
Danny Masterson’s Wife Previously Stood By Him Despite His Sentencing
A week after Masterson was sentenced to 30 years for rape, a source revealed that his wife, Phillips, was saddened by the news but ready to stand by his side.
Following the stunning decision, sources told People Magazine that she had no plans to divorce the actor and would continue to support him.
“She has had a very difficult time since the conviction,” the insider told the news outlet. “She loves Danny and has no plans to file for divorce. She will be by his side for it all.”
They added, “She is in touch with his lawyer. They are planning appeals. She tries to stay hopeful.”
Bijou Phillips Was Present In Court During Her Husband’s Sentencing
Phillips was present in court during Masterson’s sentencing, where he reportedly blew her a kiss, as seen in a court sketch.
The three women who accused Masterson of rape were also present and made statements before his sentencing. The first woman, identified as Jane Doe 1, per Variety, called the disgraced actor “a true coward and heartless monster,” while the second, Jane Doe 2, said, “I still have to contend with what you did to me that night… That takes a life’s worth of therapy to repair. Every time I think I’m okay, that rape comes back to me.”
The third woman, Jane Doe 3, told the presiding judge she was diagnosed with PTSD. All three ladies asked the judge to give Masterson life behind bars as his actions had ruined their lives.
After the statements, Judge Charlaine Olmedo said, “Mr. Masterson, you are not the victim here. Your actions 20 years ago took away another person’s voice and choice. Your actions 20 years ago were criminal, and that is why you are here.”
The judge sentenced Masterson to 15 years to life on each rape conviction, which must be served consecutively.
Ashton Kutcher And Mila Kunis Slammed For Writing Letters In Support Of Danny Masterson
Following his conviction, The Blast got a hold of character letters written by famous Hollywood couple Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis addressed to the Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo, seeking a lighter sentence for their former co-star Masterson.
In his letter, Kutcher wrote, “Not only is he a good friend to me I’ve witnessed him be a good friend to others and the kind of brother others would be lucky to have.” He noted that Masterson had been a “role model” to him and a consistently “excellent one” at that.
His wife Kunis noted in her letter that she “could sense his innate goodness and genuine nature” from their very first meeting, and “he has “proven to be an amazing friend, confidant, and, above all, an outstanding older brother figure to me.”
She also stated that she can “wholeheartedly vouch for Danny Masterson’s exceptional character and the tremendous positive influence he has had on [her] and the people around him.”
After the public got wind of Kutcher and Kunis’ letters, the couple received heavy backlash, prompting them to release a video apologizing for their actions.
Following this, Kutcher stepped down as the board chair of his anti-child trafficking group, Thorn.
Masterson also got support from “Orange is the New Black” actress Taryn Manning, who fiercely defended him in a now-deleted video on Instagram. Manning also slammed Kutcher and Kunis for their apology, noting that the “biggest disgrace of the year” was “Mila and Ashton back peddling” on their character reference for Masterson.
