Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis
Masterson letters should not challenge decision
Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher at an event in April.
© Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock.com
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis wrote letters to the court in the Danny Masterson case. They didn’t mean to hurt anyone.
Danny Masterson (47) was recently sentenced by a Los Angeles court to 30 years to life in prison for two counts of rape. Ashton Kutcher (45) and his wife Mila Kunis (40), who have been friends with the actor for many years, sent letters to the judge responsible before the sentence was announced. After the fact became known, Kutcher and Kunis have now apologized.
“We support victims”
“We recognize the pain caused by the character letters we wrote for Danny Masterson,” explains Kutcher in an Instagram video at his wife’s side. “We support victims […] and will continue to do so in the future,” adds Kunis.
A few months ago, Masterson’s family asked the two of them to write letters to the judge “to represent the person we knew for 25 years,” explains Kutcher. The intention behind this was that the court might take this into account when determining the sentence. According to Kunis, they did not write the letters “to question the legitimacy of the justice system or the validity of the jury’s decision.”
Kunis and Kutcher didn’t want to “undermine” victims
“They were intended for the judge to read, not to undermine the victims’ statements or to re-traumatize them in any way,” Kutcher continued. “We would never want this and we are sorry if it happened.” Kunis concludes the short video by saying, “Our condolences go out to every single person who has ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse or rape.”
In the letters that available in “People” magazine, among others, Kutcher and Kunis spoke extremely positively about Masterson. His ex-colleagues from the sitcom “The Wild Seventies” emphasized what a big influence their friend had on them. Kutcher described the convicted actor as a good role model who saved him from leading “a typical Hollywood life full of drugs.” Kunis wrote about an “incredible friend” who was also “a confidant” for her “and, above all, an outstanding figure of an older brother.”
At the end of May, Masterson was found guilty of two counts of rape. A twelve-member jury found it proven that Masterson raped two women in the early 2000s. In a third case against him, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. Masterson denied allegations that the sexual acts were consensual. The sentence of 30 years to life imprisonment was announced this week.