Danny Mastersons Appeal Denied As Court Accuses Him Of Wanting To Flee After Wife Divorces Him

Highlights

Danny Masterson's request for bail was denied due to concerns that he may try to flee the country after his wife filed for divorce and primary custody.
The judge cited that with no wife to go home to and little to lose, Masterson now has every incentive to escape and little reason to return to prison if his conviction is upheld on appeal.
Bijou Phillips initially defended Masterson in court but later filed for divorce, surprising many given her previous support of him despite the allegations he faced.

Danny Masterson will remain behind bars for now, as his request for bail was denied by the court, citing fears that the actor may attempt to flee the country should he be released now that Bijou Phillips filed for divorce as well as primary custody.

The court’s ruling was made on Wednesday, January 24 by Los Angeles Superior Court judge Charlaine Olmedo following Masterson’s attempt to appeal his conviction, which sentenced him to 30 years in jail for various sexual crimes.

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The Judge Denied Danny’s Appeal Because Of His Divorce

"If defendant’s conviction and sentence are upheld on appeal, he will likely remain in custody for decades and perhaps the rest of his life," the judge said in her ruling, court documents reveal.

Olmedo further explained that Masterson’s ongoing divorce from Phillips was another reason she denied bail, explaining the former That 70’s Show star has little to lose now that his estranged wife is no longer supporting him (Bijou was infamously at his side during the years-long court battle before Masterson was convicted last year).

"In light of the fact that defendant has no wife to go home to, defendant now has every incentive to flee and little reason to return to state prison to serve out the remainder of his lengthy sentence should his appeal be unsuccessful," the judge continued.

Following Masterson’s conviction in September, Phillips released a statement via her lawyer confirming she was divorcing him.

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“Ms. Phillips has decided to file for divorce from her husband during this unfortunate time. Her priority remains with her daughter,” Bijou’s attorney Lauzon Paluch said to TMZ. “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.”

The following month, Bijou made a request for full custody of the 9-year-old daughter she shares with Masterson. He didn’t challenge her filing but requested visitation rights for himself.

For now, it appears the former couple’s divorce hasn’t been finalized and remains ongoing.

Bijou Defended Danny In Court Before Divorcing Him

Bijou’s decision to divorce Masterson shortly after his convicted came as a surprise to many, given how vocal she’d been in support of him despite the heinous allegations he faced.

“I depended on Danny to take care of me and our daughter. I always felt that she would be OK because Danny is an amazing father,” she wrote in a letter to the court requesting leniency. “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.”

Other celebs like Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher wrote similar letters supporting Masterson before the convicted, though they received public backlash when the news came to light.

Danny and Bijou have been married since 2011. They welcomed their daughter, Fianna Francis Masterson, in 2014. However, in 2017, multiple women accused Masterson of rape, allegations that he vehemently denied. The accusations led to his firing from the Netflix series The Ranch, subsequent legal proceedings, and now his current incarceration.