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Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis are under fire online for writing letters in support of Danny Masterson to Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo, reported Variety. Masterson was convicted of r*pe and sentenced to prison for 30 years on September 7, 2023.
Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of r*pe.
In their letters prior to the sentencing, both Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis described Danny as a "role model" and talked about his "exceptional character." Ashton said Masterson "treated people with decency, equality, and generosity," while Kunis said he was "an outstanding older brother figure" for her.
Netizens are now outraged that Kutcher and Kunis tried to defend the convicted actor. One fan predicted that the letters could potentially harm the couple's reputation and "how people view them."
According to BBC, Danny Masterson allegedly drugged and r*ped two women at his Hollywood Hills residence between 2001 and 2003.
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis' letters defending Danny Masterson spark public fury
What was written in the letters?
The celebrity couple, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have reportedly known Danny Masterson since 1998, when they met on the set of That 70's Show, as per Variety. Ashton Kutcher also worked alongside Masterson for the third season of Netflix's Ranch.
Danny Masterson's sentencing took place on September 7 in a Los Angeles courtroom. Prior to that, both Kutcher and Kunis submitted letters for the 47-year-old's character assessment to Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo.
Ashton Kutcher recalled in the letter he submitted to the judge that he met Danny Masterson when he was only 20. In his letter, he detailed how Masterson deterred the actor from using drugs.
The actor then narrated an incident where Danny Masterson had defended the girlfriend of a "belligerent man." Kutcher wrote in the letter:
"We had never met or seen these people before, but Danny was the first person to jump to the defense of this girl. It was an incident he didn’t have to get involved in but proactively chose to because the way this man was behaving was not right."
The Just Married actor wrote that he even trusted Danny with his kids, saying:
"We have spent countless hours together with our kids and he is among few people that I would trust to be alone with my son and daughter."
Ashton then stated that he is aware that "the victims have a great desire for justice" but he hoped that the judge would take into consideration his testament to Masterson's character.
Mila Kunis also shared in her letter that she considered Danny Masterson as someone with "exceptional character." She wrote:
"Throughout our time together, Danny has proven to be an amazing friend, confidant, and, above all, an outstanding older brother figure to me. His caring nature and ability to offer guidance have been instrumental in my growth both personally and professionally."
Needless to say, the couple's accounts enraged netizens.
The internet is furious after Kutcher and Kunis express support for Masterson in their letters
After the letters were made public, netizens took to social media to rage against Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis' stance on the Danny Masterson case.
What irked netizens more is that Kutcher is the founder of Thorn, an organization that helps defend victims of child r*pe and s*xual abuse, as per BBC.
Masterson was convicted of two counts of r*pe in May 2023. A third r*pe allegation's verdict was undetermined due to a hung jury. Masterson is currently in custody at the Los Angeles County Sheriff Men's Central Jail awaiting his transfer to California State Prison, where he is expected to spend his 30-year-long sentence.
