Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis Address Backlash Over Danny Masterson Support
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Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher have spoken out following extensive backlash that resulted from their support of their That '70s Show costar Danny Masterson.
The couple took to Instagram this afternoon, Sept. 9, in a joint video uploaded to the Your Place or Mine actor's account in which the two acknowledged the outrage and the hurt that many have expressed since discovering they wrote character letters to the judge ahead of Masterson's 30-years-to-life sentence for two counts of rape.
“We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson,” Kutcher began somberly as the wind rustled in the background.
Kunis jumped in, continuing, “We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future.”
The two continued to trade off, explaining that Masterson's family had reached out to them months ago requesting they write letters to the judge. They were intended to "represent the person that we knew for 25 years so that the judge could take that into full consideration relative to the sentencing," Kutcher explained, not to "question the legitimacy of the judicial system or the validity of the jury’s ruling...[or] to undermine the testimony of the victims or retraumatize them in any way."
Kutcher affirmed, "We'd never wanna do that. And we're sorry if that has taken place," before his wife concluded, "Our heart goes out to every single person who has ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse or rape."
Masterson was originally charged with the assault of three different women, though the jury failed to reach a verdict on one of the counts. After word leaked Kunis and Kutcher had each written a letter to the judge, which many took as a plea for leniency when it came time for his sentencing, an extensive flood of backlash appeared online.
"Ashton Kutcher has a whole company dedicated to sex trafficking, but is asking for leniency for his rapist bestie. Everybody’s an ally until it’s someone they know committing the crime," one Twitter user wrote.
The couple left comments off on their Instagram statement, but plenty of folks on Twitter are questioning the sincerity of their words, with many dubbing it "damage control" rather than a genuine sorrow for any pain they have caused to other victims.
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