Reports indicate that US actress Bijou Phillips has initiated divorce proceedings against her husband, Danny Masterson, shortly after his recent sentencing to 30 years to life in prison for two counts of rape. Documents filed in Santa Barbara Superior Court cite “irreconcilable differences” as the grounds for the divorce, marking the end of their 12-year marriage.
Bijou Phillips, 43, was present in court when Danny Masterson, 47, received his sentencing earlier this month. The couple shares a child, and their divorce is now attracting significant media attention. Attorneys representing both parties have not yet commented on the divorce.
However, Peter Lauzon, the attorney representing Bijou Phillips, confirmed the divorce filing in a statement to US media. He emphasized that Phillips’s top priority remains her child and acknowledged Masterson’s role as a father, describing him as “a wonderful father.” Lauzon also requested privacy for the family during this challenging time.
The divorce petition, filed on Monday, seeks full legal and physical custody of their child, as well as spousal support. Additionally, it aims to terminate the court’s ability to grant support to Masterson and calls for the division of assets as separate property.
Bijou Phillips and Danny Masterson became engaged in 2009 and exchanged vows in Ireland in 2011. Throughout Masterson’s trials on three rape counts dating back to 2003, Phillips stood by his side. The first trial ended in a mistrial when jurors were deadlocked on each count. However, in May, another jury convicted Masterson on two of the three counts. Two women had testified that he had drugged their drinks and violently assaulted them.
In a letter to the judge before Masterson’s sentencing on September 7, Bijou Phillips described him as “a life-saving partner” and expressed her heartbreak over his absence from their family.
The divorce adds to the ongoing consequences of Masterson’s conviction. His former co-stars, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, faced backlash and had to issue apologies for their letters to the judge supporting leniency. Additionally, Ashton Kutcher stepped down from Thorn, a charity he founded to combat child sexual abuse. The fallout from the case continues to reverberate throughout the entertainment industry and beyond.
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