Bijou Phillips Makes Urgent Plea for Kidney Donor From Hospital Bed

Actress Bijou Phillips is making an emotional plea from her hospital bed, asking the public to help her find a living kidney donor.

In a heartfelt Instagram post shared on Feb. 11, the 45-year-old actress revealed that she urgently needs a transplant. “I need help finding a kidney,” she wrote. “I'm asking as a friend, a sister, an aunt, and most important, a single mother to an incredible and brave daughter.”

Phillips shares her 11-year-old daughter, Fianna, with her ex-husband, Danny Masterson, best known for his role on That '70s Show.

A Lifelong Health Battle

Phillips explained that she was born with underdeveloped kidneys and spent the first three months of her life in the NICU on dialysis. Her health struggles continued into adulthood.

In 2017, she received a kidney transplant from a close friend — a gift she says gave her “eight precious years” to raise her daughter. But in recent years, she has faced serious complications.

She revealed that she developed the BK virus, a condition that can affect transplant patients. According to the National Kidney Foundation, the BK virus is common and often lies dormant in the body, but it can reactivate in people taking anti-rejection medication after an organ transplant. In severe cases, it can damage the transplanted kidney.

Phillips said the virus led to both cellular and antibody rejection of her donor kidney.

Back on Dialysis

Now under the care of Dr. Anjay Rastogi at UCLA, Phillips is back on dialysis and searching urgently for a living donor.

“Please help me find a living donor so that I can have more time with my daughter, family, friends,” she wrote. “Time is of the essence.”

At the time of her first transplant, her representative shared that Phillips had quietly managed kidney disease for years. She tried to support her health through a stress-free lifestyle and a vegan diet, but eventually needed dialysis and was placed on the transplant list.

Now, she is once again relying on the kindness of others — and hoping someone will step forward.

Phillips directed those interested in being tested as a potential donor to apply through the link in her Instagram bio, adding, “I am so grateful for your support.”

As she continues treatment, the actress is focusing on what matters most: gaining more time with her daughter and loved ones.