Bijou Phillips to divorce Danny Masterson following 70s Show actor’s rape sentencing - who is she?

Bijou Phillips, wife of disgraced 70s Show actor Danny Masterson, 47, has reportedly filed for divorce from her husband just 12 days after he was jailed for two rapes. Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for the rapes of two women two decades ago.

Ms Phillips, 43, married the actor in 2011 and has nine-year-old daughter Fianna with him. However, the US actress and daughter of musician John Phillips, filed divorce papers on Monday at the Santa Barbara Superior Court in California.

Ms Phillips’ lawyer Peter A. Lauzon confirmed the news in a statement seen by TMZ. It read: “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.”

He added: “Mr Masterson was always present for Ms Phillips during her most difficult times of her life. Ms. Phillips acknowledges that Mr Masterson is a wonderful father to their daughter.”

But who is Bijou Phillips and how did the pair meet?

Who is Bijou Phillips?

Bijou Phillips is 43-year-old actress, model and singer from Greenwich, Connecticut. Her father is The Mamas and the Papas frontman John Phillips and her mother is South African model and singer Geneviève Waïte.

Phillips started modelling when she was just 13 years old, and has since appeared on the cover of Vogue Italia and in several Calvin Klein campaigns. At 17, Phillips signed a record deal with Almo Sounds and released her debut album I’d Rather Eat Glass.

Prior to the 00s, Phillips ventured into television and film, starring in James Toback’s drama Black and White alongside Robert Downey Jr, Brooke Shields, Elijah Wood and Jared Leto. She followed this up with several TV appearances, landing roles in Raising Hope, Hawaii Five-0 and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, among many more.

When did Danny Masterson and Bijou Phillips meet?

According to the Daily Mail, the pair met at a Las Vegas poker tournament, in 2004. Phillips and Masterson then dated for seven years before tying the knot at a private castle in Ireland during October 2011. The couple have also worked together in projects including 2009’s Made for Each Other.