Model Bijou Phillips, 45, has just severed the one remaining tie between herself and her incarcerated ex-husband, Danny Masterson, by changing her daughter’s name.
Masterson, who is serving 30 years to life in North Kern State Prison in Delano, California, shares an 11-year-old girl with Phillips.
Masterson fell from grace after he was found guilty on two counts of forcing himself on women in cases that date back to 2017.
Phillips was known to have supported him through the accusations and a mistrial, but filed for divorce shortly after he was found guilty and taken into custody on September 7, 2023.
A judge has only recently designated Danny Masterson and Bijou Phillips “single”
Image credits: Eric Charbonneau
According to TMZ, which saw the court documents, the model and actress filed to have 11-year-old Fianna Francis Masterson’s surname changed to Phillips.
The outlet notes that the bid is in its mature stages and is only short of a judge’s signature before it takes effect.
It has also been reported that, as a step in the same direction, a judge changed both Masterson and Phillip’s marital statuses to “single” as recently as Friday, October 24.
The move comes two years after Phillips sought official separation from her husband—a mere week after he started serving his sentence, citing “irreconcilable differences.”
A representative for Phillips previously claimed that her separation from the star was for the sake of her daughter
Image credits: bijouphillips
The marriage, which was doomed by Masterson’s jail sentence, had lasted close to 12 years. A legal representative for Phillips, Peter A. Lauzon, defended the 45-year-old’s decision, telling People at the time:
“Ms. Phillips has decided to file for divorce from her husband during this unfortunate time. 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 the most difficult times of her life,” the statement continued.
Phillips started seeing her new paramour months after her husband was incarcerated
Image credits: dannymastersonhttps://www.instagram.com/bijouphillips/?hl=en
But it appears it was not all for the sake of their daughter. Nine months after Masterson was taken into custody (June 2024), Phillips and her new paramour, a businessman by the name of Jamie Mazur, were seen together for the first time.
Mazur and Phillips were seen dressed casually, strolling through Central Park.
In the same month, People interviewed an insider who told them that the two had already been seeing each other for months at that point.
The two reportedly met through friends, and Phillips allegedly found a safe space in Mazur.
Jamie Mazur, also a single parent, is said to have added a “spark” to Phillips’ life
Image credits: Marc Andrew Deley
“He was initially just a confidant and someone safe that she could talk to,” the source told the outlet.
“He’s added a spark to her life.”
Whoever the spokesperson was, they parroted Phillips’ lawyer when they said: “Her main focus will always be her daughter.”
“It’s nice to see that Bijou also takes care of herself too though. It’s great to see her smiling more.”
Things started looking down for Masterson in 2017
Image credits: dannymasterson
Masterson, who is only in the second year of his sentence and pushing 50, made his breakthrough in That ’70s Show between 1998 and 2006.
Then in Men at Work (2012–2014) he took on the role of Milo Foster. He also started as Jameson “Rooster” Bennett in The Ranch (2016–2018).
Image credits: Myung J. Chun
The beginning of the end started in 2017 when three women filed charges of indecent assault against him.
The Los Angeles Police department caught the case and opened an investigation. After a fourth, Netflix dropped him from The Ranch despite denials he had channeled through his agent.
Masterson could be in jail for the rest of his life
Image credits: CDCR
Image credits: bijouphillips
A few weeks later, he was dropped by United Talent Agency. The accusations morphed into trial, then a mistrial in 2022.
Then between 2023, Masterson was tried again between April and May 2023 and two accusations brought against him stuck.
Image credits: dannymasterson
The ensuing sentence “30 years to life” is considered an indefinite term but also means he could also be paroled after 25.5 years.
“If [the] defendant’s conviction and sentence are upheld on appeal, he will likely remain in custody for decades and perhaps the rest of his life,” presiding judge, Charlaine Olmedo wrote in the trial filings at the time, per USA Today.
Social media sees the move as “protecting assets from future law suits”
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