Bijou Phillips is facing a critical health battle and is publicly asking for help.
The actress and model revealed that she is urgently in need of a living kidney donor after complications from a previous transplant left her back on dialysis. Phillips is currently hospitalized at UCLA as she awaits a match, sharing her plea directly with supporters on social media.
Her health struggles date back to birth. Phillips was born with underdeveloped kidneys and spent her first three months of life in the NICU receiving dialysis. In 2017, she received a kidney transplant from a close friend, a life-changing gift that she says allowed her to spend eight more years as an active mother to her daughter.
However, that transplant has since failed.
Phillips contracted the BK virus, a condition that can remain dormant in the body but may reactivate in transplant patients due to the immunosuppressive medications required to prevent rejection. When reactivated, the virus can damage a transplanted kidney and lead to rejection. In Phillips’ case, the virus resulted in both cellular and antibody rejection, ultimately compromising the organ.
Now back on dialysis, she is racing against time to find a compatible living donor. In an effort to widen the search, Phillips posted a Google Form link where potential donors can quickly submit basic information, including blood type, age, and medical history. She stressed the urgency of her situation and the importance of acting quickly.
Beyond the medical facts lies a deeply personal motivation. Phillips holds full custody of her 11-year-old daughter and has emphasized her role as a single mother in her appeal. Her former husband, actor Danny Masterson, is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence after being convicted of forcible rape. The couple were married for nearly 12 years before Phillips filed for divorce in 2013.
For Phillips, the search for a donor is about more than survival. It is about time. Time to continue raising her daughter, time with family and friends, and time that she says once came as an extraordinary gift from someone willing to donate.
Now, she is hoping that gift can happen again.