Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis apologize over letters of support for Danny Masterson

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis issued an apology on Saturday based on grievance over their personality letters in support of convicted rapist Danny Masterson, whom they each starred with on “That ’70s Show.”

Masterson, 47, used to be sentenced to 30 years to existence in jail on Thursday after he used to be discovered responsible of two counts of forcible rape in a retrial.

During the sentencing listening to, the 3 Jane Does within the case supplied emotional sufferer affect statements — the 2 he used to be convicted of raping, in addition to a 3rd whose rely used to be declared a mistrial — earlier than the pass judgement on dominated that Masterson will serve two 15-year sentences consecutively. He will have to additionally sign up as a intercourse perpetrator.

Masterson’s protection legal professional had argued for him to serve the 2 counts at the same time as, pronouncing that 15 years could be honest. The protection staff’s sentencing memo, got following the sentencing, confirmed that husband-and-wife Kutcher and Kunis had been amongst those that supplied personality letters in support of Masterson, asking the pass judgement on for leniency, with each calling him a “role model.”

The revelation used to be met with in style on-line backlash, together with grievance through two of the Jane Does within the case. Jane Doe No. 2 mentioned on social media on Friday that the 2 actors submitted the letters “after they read all of the gruesome sworn-under-oath testimony” of the ladies.

Jane Doe 3, whose rely used to be in the long run disregarded, additionally blasted the celebs on social media on Friday for their display of support, claiming Kutcher is “just as sick” as his “role model” and that she feels “very sad” for Kunis.

Kutcher and Kunis addressed the grievance in a temporary video message posted on Instagram on Saturday.

“We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson,” Kutcher started.

Kunis mentioned they have got “historically” supported sufferers and “will continue to do so in the future.”

Kutcher defined that Masterson’s circle of relatives reached out to them a couple of months in the past and requested them to write down personality letters “to represent the person that we knew for 25 years, so that the judge could take that into full consideration relative to the sentencing.”

“The letters were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system, or the validity of the jury’s ruling,” Kunis mentioned.

Kutcher added that the letters weren’t supposed to undermine the testimony of the sufferers.

“We would never want to do that. And we’re sorry that that has taken place,” he mentioned.

In his letter, Kutcher wrote that Masterson is “kind, courteous, and hard working.”

“As a role model, Danny has consistently been an excellent one,” Kutcher wrote, later writing, “He has always treated people with decency, equality, and generosity.”

In her letter, Kunis wrote that Masterson has an “innate goodness” and over the years has “proven to be an amazing friend, confidant, and, above all, an outstanding older brother figure to me.”

“His genuine concern for those around him and his commitment to leading by example make him an outstanding role model and friend,” she wrote.

Others who submitted personality letters on behalf of Masterson integrated his spouse, Bijou Phillips; his mom, Carol Masterson; actor Billy Baldwin; and two different stars of “That ’70s Show”: Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith.

Masterson’s legal professional persisted to care for his innocence following the sentencing.

“The errors which occurred in this case are substantial and unfortunately, led to verdicts which are not supported by the evidence,” his legal professional, Shawn Holley, mentioned in a observation on Thursday. “And though we have great respect for the jury in this case and for our system of justice overall, sometimes they get it wrong. And that’s what happened here.”

A Los Angeles jury discovered Masterson responsible of two counts of forcible rape in May, after the primary trial led to a mistrial in November 2022.

The 3rd rely in opposition to Jane Doe No. 3 used to be declared a mistrial and has since been disregarded after prosecutors mentioned they wouldn’t retry Masterson at the rape fee.

Masterson pleaded no longer responsible to 3 counts of prison rape following accusations through the 3 ladies, together with a former female friend. The alleged assaults came about between 2001 and 2003. “That ’70s Show” used to be nonetheless at the air on the time.

Masterson, who used to be arrested in 2020, mentioned every of the encounters used to be consensual.

The 3 ladies had been participants of the Church of Scientology, as is Masterson. All 3 ladies mentioned they had been to begin with hesitant to talk to regulation enforcement as a result of they mentioned church teachings discouraged reporting to police. The ladies ultimately left the church.

The Church of Scientology mentioned in a observation in May following the decision that it “has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone — Scientologists or not — to law enforcement.”

“Church policy explicitly demands Scientologists abide by all laws of the land,” the observation persisted. “All allegations to the contrary are totally false.”