Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis Apologize for Character Defenses of Convicted Rapist Danny Masterson: ‘We Are Aware of the Pain’
Actors Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis released an apology video acknowledging the blowback they received for their defenses of Danny Masterson while he was on trial.
The married couple stared on That 70’s Show with Masterson, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison last week on two convictions of rape. In the immediate fallout of Masterson’s sentence, court documents revealed that Kutcher and Kunis were among those who wrote letters to the judge presiding over the case in order to defend Masterson’s character.
“As a friend, Danny has been nothing but a positive influence on me. He’s an extraordinarily honest and intentional human being,” Kutcher wrote in his letter. Kunis, in her letter, said “[Masterson’s] unwavering commitment to being an exceptional older brother figure to me has had a transformative impact on my life, instilling in me a sense of self-belief and encouraging me to aim for greatness, but all while maintaining a sense of humility.”
The letters drew significant outrage in the days that followed, and on Saturday, Kutcher and Kunis got on Instagram to address the uproar and insist they did not intend to devalue the accusations behind Masterson’s conviction.
“We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson,” Kutcher said. “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…They were intended for the judge to read, not to undermine the testimony of the victims or re-traumatize them in any way. We would never want to do that, and we are sorry if that has taken place.”
“We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future,” Kunis added. “The letters were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system or the validity of the jury’s ruling… Our heart goes out to every single person who’s ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse, or rape.”
Following the apology video’s release, there were many who saw it as a disingenuous form of damage control. Among those who were not impressed included journalist Yashar Ali and actress Christina Ricci.
Watch above.
