Ashton Kutcher Shared His Phone Number Online — Yes, Really

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What's one way to feel a real connection to people? Apparently, if you're Ashton Kutcher, it's to share your phone number to everyone with access to Twitter. According to Entertainment Tonight, the actor posted his digits in a tweet, hoping that providing a way to contact him would foster a sense of community and build a connection with "real people." Are we all being punk'd?

"I miss having a real connection w/ real people. My Community," Kutcher wrote in a now-deleted tweet. "From now on you can just text me. I won't be able to respond to everyone but at least we can be real w/ each other & I can share the unedited latest & greatest in my world +1 (319) 519-0576 Yes this is my #"

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It wasn't a joke, either. Twitter users confirmed that they got messages back, though it wasn't what they were expecting. Like an automated message that you get when you want a coupon or sign up for notifications, the messages seemed to be automatic replies, at least for the time being. Adding to the robotic feel of the whole thing, people had to confirm that they wanted to continue receiving messages, exactly the same way you snag a $5 off code when you're waiting in line to pay at H&M. "This is what the lawyers are making me text you," he explains when users get a little deeper into their messages.

Not everyone got the same message, however. After the "autotext," people reported getting other messages, though they did lean into #sponcon with mentions of The Ranch, Kutcher's Netflix show.

"Hey it’s Ashton. This is an autotext to let you know I got your message, everything else will be from me," the first response reads.

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"Alright so I'm definitely not going to be able to respond to every one of your questions," another response read. "But love hearing from you. I'm on the set of The Ranch right now. Will send updates soon. Have the best damn day you can!"

The whole thing seemed like a social experiment with a little phishing and data mining, too. After contacting Kutcher, users were asked to submit their personal info. Punk'd or not, Kutcher's getting plenty of details from anyone who wants to make that "real connection."

After a few hours, Kutcher took the tweet down, stating that he was reconsidering his social media strategy. What happened, exactly? We'll never know. Maybe his social experiment got him the wrong kind of connections, but according to his message, it seems that his phone was overloaded. "Sms is a fragile beast," he wrote.