Bijou Phillips is hospitalized and in desperate need of a new kidney, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
A rep for the actress revealed she’s undergoing dialysis while they search for a living donor, and “time is of the essence.” Phillips, 45, has suffered from kidney issues her entire life and underwent her first transplant in 2017, but her body has now rejected the organ, and she needs a new one.
A Friend Matched For Bijou Phillips’ First Kidney Transplant
Bijou Phillips was born with underdeveloped kidneys and has had health issues as a result.
Phillips was born with underdeveloped kidneys. Her father was the legendary The Mamas & the Papas singer John Phillips, who died in 2001 of congestive heart failure. Her mother was former model Geneviève Waïte, who passed away in 2019.
The socialite shared in 2017 that she had been waiting “for a long time” before she was finally able to get her kidney transplant.
“In an effort to heal her body, she has led a stress-free life with a vegan diet, which eventually wasn’t enough, and she’s been privately having dialysis,” her rep said at the time. “She recently found out one of her friends is a match and is optimistic that she will have a transplant soon.”
Successful First Kidney Transplant
Bijou Phillips’ first kidney donor was a friend who was a match.
Phillips’ estranged husband, convicted rapist Danny Masterson, told fans that the transplant surgery was “100% successful” in an April 2017 Instagram post.
Showing his then-wife in her hospital bed holding hands with her donor friend, the former That ’70s Show star wrote, “My lady has been slowing dying for the past 7 years of an incurable kidney disease. She was given the gift of an encore by a tall angel.”
“Our daughter will have a mother. We do not take lightly how incredibly fortunate we are. Now the real work begins for her to silence any chance of rejection. Our deepest gratitude to a perfect transplant team. And a life owed to a tall drink of water. Sláinte!” Masterson added.
The former couple share a daughter, Fianna Francis Masterson, who was born in February 2014.
Bijou Phillips Stood by Danny Masterson Through His Rape Trials
Bijou Phillips and Danny Masterson held hands while leaving court following his 2022 mistrial.
Phillips is still in the process of divorcing Masterson. The disgraced actor is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence for rape.
The Raising Hope star stood by her estranged husband through two court cases involving three women who claimed The Ranch star forcibly raped them at his Hollywood Hills home in the early aughts.
The first trial ended in November 2022 with a deadlocked jury that was leaning toward acquittal.
The second trial ended on May 31, 2023, with a jury finding Masterson guilty on two of the three rape counts.
In September of that year, he was sentenced to 30 years to life in state prison.
Danny Masterson’s Rape Conviction Was ‘Unimaginably Hard on the Marriage’
Bijou Phillips and Danny Masterson looked glum as they left the courthouse in May 2023 following his rape conviction.
Shortly after Masterson’s sentencing, Phillips filed for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences.”
She listed their date of separation as “TBD,” or to be determined.
Phillips requested full legal and physical custody of Fianna.
“Ms. Phillips has decided to file for divorce from her husband during this unfortunate time. Her priority remains with her daughter,” her lawyer shared in a statement at the time.
He added, “This period has been unimaginably hard on the marriage and the family. 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. She hopes that everyone will respect her family’s privacy in these difficult times.”
