Ashton Kutcher and wife Mila Kunis have issued a public apology after word got out from one of Danny Masterson's rape accusers that the couple had sent a letter of support to the judge for their That 70s Show co-star.
via: Variety
“We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson,” Kutcher says in a video posted to his Instagram on Saturday.
“We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future,” adds Kunis, who sits beside husband Kutcher in the video.
Kutcher then explains how Masterson’s family reached out to him and Kunis to write character letters to “represent the person that we knew for 25 years.”
“The letters were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system, or the validity of the jury’s ruling,” Kunis says.
“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 adds. “We would never want to do that, and we’re sorry if that has taken place.”
The video concludes with Kunis saying, “Our heart goes out to every single person who’s ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse or rape.”
Kutcher and Kunis were two of more than 50 people who wrote to the judge in the Masterson sexual assault trial to support the convicted actor ahead of his sentencing. Other stars from “That ’70s Show” who wrote letters include Debra Jo Rupp, who played Kitty on the Fox sitcom, and Kurtwood Smith, who played Red.
An excerpt from Kutcher’s letter reads, “Danny takes his job seriously. He is kind, courteous, and hard working. He treated everyone from the grips to the teamsters to the actors to the caterers as equals. As a role model, Danny has consistently been an excellent one…”
In Kunis’ letter, she calls Masterson an “amazing friend, confidant, and, above all, an outstanding older brother figure.” “His genuine concern for those around him and his commitment to leading by example make him an outstanding role model and friend,” she continues.
On Thursday, Masterson was sentenced to the maximum 30 years to life in downtown Los Angeles. He will be eligible for parole when he is 77 years old.
Shortly after it was shared, Christina Ricci posted an Instagram Story that, while not mentioning Kutcher and Kunis by name, appeared to be a direct response to the letter controversy.
The Addams Family and Yellowjackets actor wrote: “So sometimes people we loved and admired do horrible things. They might not do these things to us and we only know who they were to us but that doesn’t mean they didn’t do the horrible things and to discredit the abused is a crime.
“People we know as ‘awesome guys’ can be predators and abusers. It’s tough to accept but we have to. If we say we support victims – women, children, men, boys – then we must be able to take this stance.”
I had a strong feeling that this was going to cause an uproar once this news came out, and I am of two minds regarding this story.
On one hand all Ashton and Mila are doing is standing by someone who kept them out of getting caught up in the dark side of Hollywood. As human beings if we have friends who we only saw the good side of things that they have done, there's no telling what we would do in their situation.
Ashton never said anything nasty about Danny's accusers, and neither did Mila. Should we crucify someone because they sent letters to a judge supporting their friend, which millions of people in the US do every day?
On the flip side, we as human beings never truly know someone, and just because they only show us one side of who they are doesn't mean that they don't have a dark side they keep from those they've made an impression on.
There have been many incidences where people will be the nicest and most charming person in the room, but behind closed doors they end up as predators and abusers.
So I understand why Ashton and Mila did what they did, but I'm also going to agree with Christina's assessment as well.
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