Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis are apologizing after backlash erupted over statements they made in support of fellow “That ’70s Show” actor Danny Masterson in his rape prosecution, Variety reports.
On Thursday, Masterson, 47, was sentenced to 30 years to life after being convicted of raping two women in 2003.
As part of the sentencing proceedings, Kutcher and Kunis, who are married, wrote letters to the judge in support of Masterson. The letters were later posted online.
In a video released Saturday, the celebrity couple explained why they wrote the letters, apologized for any pain their letters might have caused and expressed support for victims.
“We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson,” Kutcher said in the video, with Kunis adding: “We support victims. We have done this historically through work and will continue to do so in the future.”
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Masterson’s family approached the couple in May about writing the character letters after Masterson was convicted of the rapes, according to Kutcher. Masterson had co-starred with them in “That ‘70s Show” between 1998 and 2006.
Kutcher said in his letter that Masterson treated people “with decency, equality, and generosity,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. Kunis wrote that Masterson was “an outstanding role model and friend” and an “exceptional older brother figure.”
Kutcher and Masterson also co-starred in “The Ranch,” a 2016 Netflix comedy, but Masterson was later written out of the show the following year after the rape investigation was revealed.
In Saturday’s video, Kunis said the character letters were not intended to question the validity of the jury’s verdict.
“Our heart goes out to every single person who’s ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse or rape,” Kunis said in the video.
Kutcher said the letters “were intended for the judge to read and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or retraumatize them in any way. We would never want to do that and we’re sorry if that has taken place.”
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo also heard character statements and testimony from other sources, including the victims, before handing down the sentence, according to the Associated Press.
Authorities alleged that in 2003, Masterson drugged two women and then raped them violently at his home in the Hollywood area.
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[Feature Photo: Mila Kunis, left, and Ashton Kutcher arrive at the ninth Breakthrough Prize Awards on Saturday, April 15, 2023, at The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)]
