Bijou Phillips has found herself catapulted into the limelight this week as her husband, Danny Masterson, was sentenced to prison after being convicted of rape.
On Thursday, September 7, Danny was convicted on two of three charges of forcible rape against two female former members of the Church of Scientology and sentenced to 30 years behind bars.
During the hearing, the former That 70’s Show actor received support from his wife, Bijou Phillips, who was brought to tears after hearing her husband’s verdict.
Danny, 47, and Bijou, 43, both Scientologists, began dating in 2004 after meeting at a poker tournament, got engaged in 2009, and wed in 2011. The couple welcomed their daughter, Fianna, in 2014.
In addition to sharing the same religious beliefs, Danny and Bijou are both familiar with being in the spotlight. While Danny is most famous for portraying his character, Steven Hyde, on That 70’s Show from 1998-2006, Bijou rose to fame as an actress, model, and singer.
Bijou Lilly Phillips is the daughter of The Mamas and The Papas singer John Phillips and South African actress/model Genevieve Waite. She was named after the song My Petite Bijou by Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, and her name means “jewel” in French.
Bijou has some famous siblings, too, including half-sisters Mackenzie and Chynna Phillips. Mackenzie starred in the television series One Day at a Time, while Chynna was in the hit ’90s band Wilson Phillips.
Bijou Phillips’ turbulent upbringing
Bijou, whose Godfather is Andy Warhol, grew up in foster care in New York and lived defiantly as a teenager, dropping out of school at age 14 and attending rehab three years later.
In a 2018 Instagram post, Bijou explained why she was placed in foster care at the age of 3.
“My parents were unfit and they spent years and years fighting for custody, so I bounced around a lot,” she wrote.
Bijou also spoke of the emotional turmoil of seeing her birth mother during visits but not being able to go home with her, calling the events a “pain she still feels.”
Bijou is a model, vocalist, and actress
As a young model, Bijou found success and was the youngest model to appear on the cover of Vogue Italia as well as Interview Magazine and then became the face of Calvin Klein in the 1990s.
Emerging as a vocal artist at 17, Bijou released her debut studio album titled I’d Rather Eat Glass in 1999. She went on to act in several films, including Black & White, Bully, The Door in the Floor, Havoc, Choke, Hostel: Part II, Made for Each Other, and Chelsea on the Rocks.
These days, Bijou is dealing with the news that her husband of 12 years will spend the next 30 years or more in jail. Reportedly, she broke down and began weeping during Danny’s verdict, which states he won’t be eligible for parole until he is 77 years old.