Actress-model Bijou Phillips has taken a significant legal step: she has filed court documents to change her 11-year-old daughter’s last name from Masterson to Phillips.
The motion removes the surname of her ex-husband, actor Danny Masterson—who is currently serving a 30-years-to-life prison sentence following his conviction for rape in 2023.
Phillips and Masterson, who were married in 2011 and share their daughter Fianna Francis Masterson (born 2014), had previously split when Phillips filed for divorce in September 2023 citing “irreconcilable differences.”
The court filing marks another chapter in Phillips’ effort to establish a fresh start for her family. While Masterson’s legal status remains as a convicted felon currently incarcerated at North Kern State Prison in California, the matter of visitation and custody was previously addressed in their divorce agreement.
Though the filing still awaits a judge’s signature, Phillips’ move sends a clear message about distancing her daughter’s identity from her father’s high-profile legal troubles. The outcome could also influence how celebrity legal decisions around children’s surnames are viewed in the public eye.
