Bijou Phillips is making a decisive move to separate herself and her daughter from disgraced actor Danny Masterson, nearly a year after his sentencing.
Phillips and Masterson married in 2011 and welcomed their daughter Fianna in 2014.
For years, she stood firmly by his side, even during the early stages of his legal battles related to sexual assault allegations from the early 2000s.
At the time, she was often seen holding his hand outside court and even penned a letter to the judge ahead of sentencing, calling him an “amazing father” whose bond with their daughter was “inseparable.”
Family and Friends Reportedly Urged Phillips to Cut Ties
Phillips, 45, recently filed court documents to legally change her daughter’s name, removing Masterson’s surname and replacing it with her own.
According to filings seen by TMZ, 11-year-old Fianna Francis will now carry the name Fianna Francis Phillips - no longer bearing the last name of her jailed father.
Danny Masterson. Credit: Anna Webber/Getty
Sources close to Phillips told the Daily Mail that the shift in her stance didn’t come lightly. Loved ones reportedly urged her to think of her daughter’s future.
“They encouraged her to show Fianna that eventually people need to be held accountable for what they do, even if it’s someone they love,” one insider revealed.
Another source added a practical angle, explaining: “Bijou also is doing it to protect her assets and protect her future. She doesn’t want to lose money and land and housing over a future civil lawsuit against Danny.”
Phillips officially filed for divorce in September 2023, just weeks after Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for the rape of two women. Initially, she had struggled to accept the court’s verdict.
“Danny is adamant he did nothing wrong and Bijou believes him,” a source claimed at the time.
But the divorce marked the end of their 12-year marriage - and now, the symbolic name change shows Phillips is charting a new path forward. By June 2024, she had been spotted with a new boyfriend, businessman Jamie Mazur.
Bijou Phillips is distancing herself from Danny Masterson. Credit: Myung J. Chun / Getty
Survivor Chrissie Carnell-Bixler Reacts to Masterson’s Sentencing
While Phillips takes legal and personal steps to distance herself, one of Masterson’s accusers, Chrissie Carnell-Bixler, has spoken publicly in the wake of the sentencing.
Carnell-Bixler, an actress and former Scientologist who dated Masterson for six years, shared her thoughts via Instagram shortly after his conviction.
“I’m still processing everything that happened yesterday. I will say that last night I had my first solid and peaceful night’s sleep in years,” she wrote.
She expressed gratitude to those who helped bring the case to trial and added a message to other survivors: “To the rest of [Masterson's] survivors known and unknown… I hope you’re all experiencing justice and I pray deep healing for us all. Danny Masterson will never harm another woman for as long as he shall live. To all the victims of Scientology, we aren’t finished, yet.”