It is being reported that prior to actor Danny Masterson being sentenced to 30 years in prison for two counts of sexual assault during the height of his sitcom fame, his former That 70s Show co-stars Ashton Kutcher and wife Mila Kunis defended the actor in a letter to Masterson's judge on the case.
One of the victims tweeted on Thursday that Kutcher and Kunis had written letters asking the judge for leniency in the sentencing. Full copies of both letters were published by reporter Meghann Cuniff on Friday.
via: People
In an excerpt of a letter written by Kutcher, 45, to the court, the actor called Masterson, 47, a "role model."
"As a role model, Danny has consistently been an excellent one," Kutcher wrote in the letter, obtained by PEOPLE. "I attribute not falling into the typical Hollywood life of drugs directly to Danny."
Later he shared an incident from a pizza parlor where Masterson allegedly stepped in to help a stranger who was being "berated" by her boyfriend.
"We had never met or seen these people before, but Danny was the first person to jump to the defense of this girl. It was an incident he didn’t have to get involved in but proactively chose to because the way this man was behaving was not right," Kutcher wrote. "He has always treated people with decency, equality, and generosity."
Kutcher's letter mentioned Masterson as "an extraordinarily honest and intentional human being," and said Kutcher — who also starred on The Ranch with Masterson — can't recall a time his costar told a lie.
Kunis, 40, wrote her own letter, which in part, named Masterson as someone with "exceptional character."
"I first met Danny during our time working together on That 70’s Show, and from the very beginning, I could sense his innate goodness and genuine nature," Kunis wrote. "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."
After a similar sentiment to her husband's about how Masterson kept her away from drug pressures in the industry, she added, "His genuine concern for those around him and his commitment to leading by example make him an outstanding role model and friend."
The two letters were bundled in a group of dozens of references intended to vouch for Masterson's character. The contents of the letters were first reported by Good Morning America.
That '70s Show and That '90s Show star Kurtwood Smith also contributed to the good faith for Masterson. "I consider Danny to be a good friend. Our friendship revolved around work... Danny was the leader among his contemporaries in the cast. He was a tad older and much more experienced and he took that position seriously. During the 8 years we did the show, we never had the problems some other shows had with their younger cast members," he wrote.
Danny Masterson and wife Bijou Phillips Masterson
Debra Jo Rupp spoke to the lack of drug use on the '70s Show set. "He was well liked and very respected," she wrote. "One of the first things Danny did with them was to sit [the teens] all down (he had a little meeting) and had them all make a pact that no one would do drugs because of the nature of our show. The spotlight would be on them and he wanted everyone to succeed. I remember thinking that it was such a smart thing to do and something I never would have thought of. As a result, you never saw them in the tabloids. Danny made sure of that and I was so appreciative."
Ethan Suplee, Eric Balfour, William Baldwin, Giovanni Ribisi, Marissa Ribisi, Jonathan Tucker and Masterson's siblings, Jordan, Christopher, Will and Alanna, also wrote letters of support for the actor.
This isn’t the first time Kutcher spoke about Masterson’s character. In January, he expressed hope that Masterson was innocent of the allegations. "I'm not the judge. I'm not the jury. I'm not the DA. I'm not the victim. And I'm not the accused. And so, in that case, I don't have a space to comment." he told Esquire. "I just don't know."
He added he wanted Masterson "to be found innocent of the charges brought against him" while also sharing his support for the victims of abuse, saying, "I wholesale feel for anybody who feels like they were violated in any way."
Masterson’s rape trial began last October, though it first resulted in a mistrial. He pled not guilty, but was found guilty on two counts of rape in May. He was facing a maximum sentence of 30 years to life when he entered the court for sentencing on Thursday — which he received.
The Ranch actor plans to appeal his conviction.
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.
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