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Bijou Phillips is fighting for her life. 

The Almost Famous actor recently opened up about her battle with kidney disease and her search for an organ donor. 

“There’s 90,000 people in America that need a kidney,” she told Us Weekly in a candid new interview. “It’s something people don’t really understand or talk about. There are so many people that are suffering and on dialysis. Dialysis is not a cure, and it’s not something that is going to help you live a real life. You really do need to get a kidney transplant.”

Bijou Phillips was ‘denied coverage’ for first kidney transplant

Phillips was born with underdeveloped kidneys and had her first transplant at age 36. But she recently revealed that she was again on dialysis and in need of a new kidney. The search for a donor has not been easy. Her brother hoped to donate, but he was not a match. Since then, her family and her friends – including Paris and Nicky Hilton and Kimberly Stewart – have stepped in to advocate for her as she navigates a complicated healthcare system. 

Phillips comes from a famous family – her dad was John Phillips of The Mama and the Papas, and her sisters include actor Mackenzie Phillips and singer Chynna Phillips of Wilson Phillips. Until recently, she was married to That ‘70s Show actor Danny Masterson. (In 2023, he was found guilty of rape and sentenced to 30 years in prison; she filed for divorce soon after his conviction.) But even with all her resources, affording life-saving healthcare has been a challenge.

“On my first transplant, SAG denied coverage,” she said, referring the labor union that represents film and television actors in the U.S. SAG-AFTRA declined to comment to Us Weekly on Phillips’ claims, citing privacy regulations. 

“We had to fight for months to get approval,” she continued. “Then, once I was on dialysis, I qualified for Medicare. They initially said they’d cover it, and then they didn’t. SAG also refused to pay.”

Phillips was ultimately “left with a massive bill while trying to survive,” she explained. Since then, she’s gotten strategic, noting that she carries “multiple insurance policies and Medicare.” 

“It’s insane that you have to strategize insurance while fighting for your life… There are still medications I need that won’t get approved. They’re unbelievably expensive. I pay out of pocket because I don’t have a choice,” she added. “The system is incredibly complicated, opaque and stacked in ways that make it hard even for people with resources. For families without them, I can’t even imagine the pressure.”

‘Almost Famous’ actor asked fans for help finding a new kidney

Phillip is not the first star to confront the financial burdens that come with serious health problems. On February 11, Dawson’s Creek star James Van Der Beek died of colorectal cancer. Soon after, his family launched a controversial GoFundMe, saying that he’d spent so much on medical bills in his final years that his wife and child were left with virtually nothing. Friends of the late Grey’s Anatomy actor Eric Dane have also launched a fundraiser to help his family after his death from ALC. And The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Brandi Glanville recently revealed she’d spent $200,000 and visited nearly two dozen doctors in an attempt to figure out what was causing her health issues, which were eventually linked to a ruptured breast implant.

While Phillips has not asked for financial support, she has reached out to her fans on social media in the hopes of finding a kidney donor.

“I need help finding a kidney,” she wrote. “I’m asking as a friend, a sister, an aunt, and most importantly, a single mother to an incredibly brave daughter. I am in need of a kidney … please help me find a living donor so that I can have more time with my daughter, family, and friends.”

“So many people [responded], it’s just beautiful,” she said. “Like, 1,300 people came forward and said they want to get tested. Out of those, I think we have like 50 or 60 that could possibly be a match.”

While Phillips’ condition is grave, she remains optimistic.

“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,” she said. “I’m really hopeful, [but] it’s an extremely urgent situation.”

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