Bijou Phillips Is ‘Distraught’ After Husband Danny Masterson’s Rape Sentencing — but Has ‘No Plans’ to Divorce: Source

Bijou Phillips is “distraught” after her husband Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years in prison last week in a rape case, a source tells PEOPLE.

“She has gone through a very difficult time since the conviction,” says the insider. “She loves Danny and has no plans to file for divorce. She will be by his side in everything.”

A source says Phillips, 43, is “surrounded by family and friends” amid her husband’s legal troubles, adding: “She’s in contact with his lawyer. They’re planning appeals. She’s trying to stay hopeful.”

Bijou Phillips and Danny Masterson.

Jesse Grant/Getty; Joe Scarnici/Getty

Danny Masterson blew a kiss to wife Bijou Phillips in the courtroom after he was sentenced to 30 years in prison

Masterson’s defense attorney Shawn Holley did not immediately return PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Phillips was in the courtroom — along with members of Masterson’s family — for Thursday’s sentencing, according to Diversity. The actor was seen blowing a kiss to his wife before being taken to jail in the court sketch.

During the sentencing, two women he was convicted of raping gave victim impact statements, and Judge Charlaine Olmedo told Masterson: “Mr. Masterson, you are not a victim here. Your actions 20 years ago took away another person’s voice and choice Your actions 20 years ago were criminal, and that’s why you’re here,” the newspaper said.

Danny Masterson is seen blowing a kiss to wife Bijou Phillips during his sentencing on September 7, 2023.

Mona Shafer Edwards / BACKGRID

Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for raping 2 women

A Los Angeles Superior Court jury found Masterson guilty of two counts of rape in May, according to Los Angeles Times. After jurors deliberated for more than seven days, the third count of the indictment for rape resulted in the jury being dismissed, the paper reported.

Masterson did not register a large reaction to the verdictaccording to LA reporter Meghann Cuniff, who noted that his family members were “fighting back tears,” and Phillips also began to cry when he was sentenced.

Cuniff reported that Judge Olmedo told her, “Can you keep your composure? I know it’s hard. But if you don’t, you have to get out.”

Holley confirmed to PEOPLE after the verdict that Masterson plans to appeal.

Danny Masterson ‘He always thought he was going to get away with it,’ says prosecutor

A source previously told PEOPLE that Phillips is “shocked and devastated” by the conviction. An insider said: “She was not ready for the verdict. She never expected him to be found guilty. She couldn’t believe that he was immediately taken into custody and remanded in custody.”

The source added that Phillips was “terrified by the verdict”.

Danny Masterson visits DirecTV Super Saturday Night on February 6, 2016.

C Flanigan/Getty

Bijou Phillips ‘shocked’ by husband Danny Masterson’s rape conviction, but doesn’t want to leave him: Source

In 2020, Masterson was charged with the forced rape of three women in separate incidents between 2001 and 2003. Since his arrest, Masterson has been out of jail on $3.3 million bail. In January 2021, he pleaded not guilty to all three counts of the indictment.

At the time, Masterson’s attorney, Tom Mesereau, issued a statement to PEOPLE saying, “Mr. Masterson is innocent and we are confident that he will be exonerated when all the evidence finally comes to light and witnesses have an opportunity to testify.”

Mesereau continued: “Obviously, Mr. Masterson and his wife are in complete shock that these nearly 20-year-old allegations have suddenly resulted in indictments, but they and their family take comfort in knowing that the truth will eventually come out. . people who know Mr. Masterson know his character and know the allegations are false.”

All of the alleged crimes took place at Masterson’s home, prosecutors say, and all three defendants took the stand to detail their allegations in a May 2021 preliminary hearing.

Masterson was originally set to stand trial on the charges in late 2022, but the trial was mistrialed after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. Ten of the 12 jurors wanted to find Masterson not guilty based on the evidence presented.

Many of the allegations against Masterson first surfaced in March 2017 when the LAPD’s Homicide Robbery Division confirmed that an investigation into sexual assault allegations against the actor was underway. In November 2017, HuffPost reported that a fourth woman had accused Masterson of raping her in the early 2000s.

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After the allegations came to light, Masterson was removed from the Netflix series Ranch — which appeared in with the former A show from the 70s actor Ashton Kutcher. Agency United Talent also terminated cooperation with the actor.

“This is beyond ridiculous,” Masterson told PEOPLE through his attorney at the time. “I’m not going to fight my ex-girlfriend in the media like she’s been baiting me for over two years. I’m going to beat her in court – and I’m looking forward to it because the public will finally be able to find out the truth and see how this woman surrounded me. And when her lawsuit is dismissed, I intend to sue her and the others who have jumped into the suit for the damage they have caused me and my family.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

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