Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis are addressing their controversial letters of support toward their That ’70s Show costar Danny Masterson.
In a video on Saturday, the couple discussed why they wrote the letters of support for Masterson — who was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Thursday for two rapes that took place during the height of his That ’70s Show fame — and voiced their support of the victims.
“We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson,” Kutcher, 45, said in a video posted on his Instagram alongside his wife Kunis, who said that they “support victims and will continue to do so in the future.”
The actor went on to describe how the letters came about and said that they were written as a favor to Masterson’s family.
“A couple months ago Danny’s family reached out to us and they asked us to write character letters to represent the person that we knew for 25 years, so that the judge could take that into full consideration relative to the sentencing,” he said.
“The letters were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system or the validity of the jury’s ruling,” Kunis, 40, added.
The couple said that they never intended for the letters to be made public and apologized to the victims in Masterson’s case, who may have been hurt by their comments.
“They were intended for the judge to read and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or re-traumatize them in any way,” Kutcher said. “We’d never want to do that, and we’re sorry if that has taken place.”
Kunis concluded the video by saying, “Our heart goes out to every single person who’s ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse or rape.”
In the letters of support on Friday, Kutcher called Masterson, 47, a “role model” who he attributed to helping him not fall “into the typical Hollywood life of drugs.”
He also recalled an incident from a pizza parlor where he said Masterson stepped in to help a stranger who was being “berated” by her boyfriend, and noted that Masterson “always treated people with decency, equality, and generosity.”
Meanwhile, Kunis named Masterson as someone with “exceptional character” in her own letter and said she “could sense his innate goodness and genuine nature” while working with him on That ’70s Show.
“Throughout our time together, Danny has proven to be an amazing friend, confidant, and, above all, an outstanding older brother figure to me. His caring nature and ability to offer guidance have been instrumental in my growth both personally and professionally,” she wrote.
After the letters were released, Kutcher and Kunis received criticism online for vouching for Masterson, who was found guilty on two counts of rape in May, despite a not guilty plea. One person wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, “I swear the more we learn, the more we see lots of celebrities really aren’t good people.” Others expressed their disappointment in the actors for the letters.
That ’70s Show and That ’90s Show stars Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp also sent in letters defending Masterson’s character alongside, Ethan Suplee, Eric Balfour, William Baldwin, Giovanni Ribisi, Marissa Ribisi, Jonathan Tucker and Masterson’s siblings, Jordan, Christopher, Will and Alanna. The contents of the letters were first reported by Good Morning America.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741–741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
