Bijou Phillips Shares Desperate Plea for Kidney Donor in Candid Interview
In a deeply emotional and wide-ranging new interview, actress Bijou Phillips has provided a heartbreaking update about her critical search for a rare kidney donor. The 45-year-old celebrity has turned to the public for assistance after a kidney transplant she received in 2017 was ultimately rejected by her body.
Time Running Out for Actress on Dialysis
Phillips, who is currently undergoing dialysis treatment, told followers earlier this month that 'time is of the essence' in her desperate situation. Speaking exclusively to Us Weekly, she emphasized the delicate nature of her health crisis, revealing she could potentially be 'gone in a few days' if an infection were to develop.
'I’ve been immunosuppressed for so long… I could make it on dialysis for a couple years, or I could get an infection in my line tomorrow and be gone in a few days,' Phillips explained with raw honesty. 'I’m really hopeful, [but] it’s an extremely urgent situation.'
The actress has resumed dialysis treatment, a medical procedure designed to clean the blood for individuals suffering from kidney failure. While she noted feeling 'pretty good since I started dialysis,' the underlying reality remains precarious.
Family History and Failed Matches
Phillips revealed that her brother, Aron Wilson, had initially offered to donate a kidney but unfortunately was not a compatible match. 'He’s maybe going to be able to get into the kidney exchange, but they’re not sure,' she shared. 'They’ve already denied him once, so he’s gonna try again.'
The actress described herself as 'sort of hanging by a thread' as her wait for a suitable donor continues. 'I’ve needed a transplant for a year. I’m sort of hanging on by a thread,' she confessed, drawing parallels to her father's medical history.
'My dad had a liver transplant when I was 10, and then when I was 20, he had to get on dialysis at UCLA,' Phillips recalled. 'The medication you take when you’re transplanted is very toxic to kidneys. So when you get a transplant — heart or liver or kidney — within a decade, you’re probably going to need a kidney transplant.'
She continued with chilling personal history: 'My dad needed to get on dialysis after his liver transplant, [and] he got an infection in his line and was dead within three days because his immune system was so weak. So for me, getting on dialysis at UCLA was terrifying.'
Lifelong Health Battle and Recent Setbacks
Phillips' kidney issues have plagued her since infancy. According to Us Weekly, she was born with underdeveloped kidneys and spent her first three months of life on dialysis with limited kidney function. At age 36, she received her first kidney transplant and enjoyed several years of improved health before her condition deteriorated.
'Before I got the call that my… kidneys were failing again, I was playing shows and putting music out,' Phillips remembered. 'I was working on a new album… I was about to go make a movie in Bulgaria… I was so excited — it was such a good part — but I had to pull out because I got sick.'
Back in 2017, Phillips' then-husband Danny Masterson publicly announced her kidney transplant on social media, sharing that she had received a life-saving donation and was beginning recovery. Earlier this month, Phillips took to Instagram with an emotional plea for assistance, urging followers to share her message and consider becoming living donors.
Public Appeal and Daily Reality
In her Instagram posts, Phillips detailed her lifelong struggle with kidney disease, writing: 'I was born with underdeveloped kidneys and spent the first three months of life in the NICU on dialysis. In 2017, I received the incredible gift of a kidney from a dear friend.'
She continued: 'That transplant gave me 5 precious years to be a mother to my daughter - but I have had many complications since, 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.'
Phillips concluded her plea with: 'Please help me find a living donor so that I can have more time with my daughter, family, and friends. Time is of the essence.'
A representative for the actress confirmed to Variety that Phillips had been hospitalized for a second kidney transplant and was actively searching for a donor.
Finding Solace and Maintaining Normalcy
Amid her health crisis, Phillips has found comfort in religious practices. 'I’ve been praying a lot. I’m in a little group that prays the rosary in the morning, right after drop-off. I’m going to try to do a traditional Lent, fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays,' she shared.
A representative for Phillips clarified to Us Weekly that she was never a member of Scientology, explaining that her sole connection to the Church was through her ex-husband Masterson, who remains a lifelong member.
Despite her medical challenges, Phillips strives to maintain a semblance of normal daily life. 'Today I took my daughter to school, came home, had a little snack, went to dialysis, came home, and normally I would go do a couple things, grab her from school, take her if she has an after-school thing, or maybe go get an early dinner or come home and make dinner,' she described.
'That’s my day. If I don’t have dialysis, I’m running errands and going to the grocery store.'
The actress shares her 12-year-old daughter, Fianna Francis Masterson, with ex-husband Danny Masterson, and her Instagram appeal included touching baby photos of her child alongside her urgent request for potential donors to complete forms through the link in her bio.
