Bijou Phillips Was Born With Underdeveloped Kidneys: Inside Her Health Struggles Over the Years

Even before Bijou Phillips revealed she needed a second kidney transplant, the actress had been open about her health struggles over the years.

Phillips, who is the daughter of musicians John Phillips and Geneviève Waïte, was born with underdeveloped kidneys. She required her first transplant in 2017.

“I’m asking as a friend, a sister, an aunt, and, most importantly, a single mother to an incredible and brave daughter. I am in need of a kidney,” Phillips wrote via Instagram nearly a decade later. “In 2017, I received the incredible gift of a kidney from a dear friend.”

Phillips recalled suffering from “many complications,” adding, “Including the BK virus which led to both a cellular and antibody rejection. I am currently under care of Dr Anjay Rastogi at UCLA and back on dialysis. Please help me find a living donor so that I can have more time with my daughter, family, and friends.”

Keep scrolling for a breakdown of Phillips’ health issues over the years:

1980

While requesting help finding a donor for a second kidney transplant, Phillips revealed she was “born with underdeveloped kidneys and spent the first three months of life in the NICU on dialysis.”

2017

Phillips was hospitalized in 2017 following a blood infection. Her then-husband, Danny Masterson, spoke out about her health issues, telling Entertainment Tonight, “Bijou was born with small kidneys and has been quietly dealing with kidney disease for the last five years, including being on the transplant list.”

He continued: “In an effort to heal her body, she has led a stress-free life with a vegan diet which eventually wasn’t enough, and she’s been privately having weekly dialysis.”

2017

Phillips went through her first transplant when a friend donated their kidney.

2023

After Masterson was sentenced to 30 years in prison on sexual assault charges, Phillips was one of many character witnesses who penned a letter to the judge in hopes of lessening his jail time.

“I can say that Danny has literally been a life-saving partner to me,” she wrote in the message obtained by The Underground Bunker. “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.”

Phillips praised Masterson, with whom she shares daughter Fianna, for “finding other ways to earn a living” after being accused of sexual abuse back in 2017.

“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,” she continued, noting that Masterson was always “against drugs” and helping “so many friends and colleagues get sober.”

Phillips filed for divorce from Masterson in September 2023. After their divorce was finalized, Phillips was awarded full custody in October 2023. A source told Us Weekly at the time that Phillips was focused on her future, sharing, “Bijou is trying to put the whole sordid mess behind her and concentrate on building a new chapter.”

2026

Phillips confirmed in February 2026 that she is seeking a living donor while battling health complications from her first transplant. Phillips was put back on dialysis after her kidney failed.

An insider told Us that while Phillips is “awake” and “aware of what is going on,” her condition remains “dire.” The source noted that there is “natural wear on her other kidney” and she has “had issues for years.”