Bijou Phillips is treating herself to a tropical getaway in the aftermath as her estranged husband, Danny Masterson, continues to serve his 30-year sentence in prison.
Phillips, 43, took to Instagram over the weekend to share photos and videos of her in the Bahamas. “Having the most needed vacation ever! ⛱️🌊👙🎄☀️❤️,” she captioned several pics of her enjoying her time by the water while soaking up the sun.
The actress also shared videos via her Instagram Stories, which showed her getting a tan on the beach, playing volleyball with friends and posing for photos in a bikini. The social media posts didn’t feature Phillips’ 9-year-old daughter, Fianna, who she recently got full custody of following Masterson’s sentencing.
Us Weekly confirmed in October that Masterson, 47, agreed to give Phillips full legal and physical custody of Fianna. The request was initially issued when Phillips filed for divorce from Masterson one month prior. Masterson, meanwhile, responded by requesting visitation rights, which came shortly after he was sentenced to 30 years in prison in his sexual assault retrial in September.
Before Masterson was found guilty, Phillips showed support for her husband by attending court hearings by his side. She had a visibly emotional reaction when the guilty verdict was read in May, but continued to advocate for Masterson’s character with a letter written to Judge Charlaine Olmedo ahead of his sentencing.
“I am writing to you to ask that you consider this information when sentencing my husband, Danny Masterson,” she wrote in a letter obtained by The Underground Bunker, which specializes in news about Scientology. “I depended on Danny to take care of me and our daughter. I always felt that she would be okay because Danny is an amazing father. He was devoted to our daughter, would read her books, take her on walks and to ballet lessons. I never once heard him complain. The two were inseparable.”
Phillips explained how Masterson’s daughter was affected by his absence, adding, “More than anything, she loves her father. When he calls us each day, she ends with ‘I love you too much Daddy.’”
She continued: “We need him more than you can imagine. I know he has been convicted of serious crimes. But the man I married has only been an extraordinary husband to me and a devoted father to our daughter.”
Masterson was ultimately sentenced to 30 years behind bars after being found guilty on two counts of forcible rape for incidents that occurred in the early 2000s. The actor has vehemently denied the allegations since he was arrested and charged in 2020.
Phillips, for her part, filed for divorce after 12 years of marriage, just days after Masterson’s sentencing. “This experience has been devastating and humiliating for Bijou,” a source exclusively told Us in September. “She’s focused on being a mom and preserving her future no matter what.”
Despite Masterson appealing the verdict, Phillips requested to “terminate the court’s ability to grant support” to Masterson and asked that their assets be divided up by the court as separate property.
“Bijou’s very sensitive about her family’s financial security, and the impending divorce is clearly a big piece of that plan,” the insider continued. “The only reason she’s filing to end the marriage is to put a sizable amount of Danny’s assets out of reach of further litigation.”
