Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis issued an apology over the weekend for letters that the couple sent in support of Danny Masterson during his sexual assault trial.
What did Kutcher and Kunis say?
The pair posted a video to their Instagram page on Saturday, where they voiced their support for the victims in the case, and noted that they were “aware of the pain” that their letters caused.
“We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson,” Kutcher said. “We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future,” Kunis continued.
Kutcher went on to explain that the family of Masterson asked them to provide letters to the judge in order to help “represent the person that we knew for 25 years.” Kunis added that the letters were not written in order to “question the legitimacy of the judicial system” or the ruling, but were instead meant for the judge to read.
“They were intended for the judge to read and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or re-traumatize them in any way,” Kutcher adds. “We would never want to do that, and we’re sorry if that has taken place.”
“Our heart goes out to every single person who’s ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse or rape,” Kunis said to end the video.
Kutcher and Kunis were two of more than 50 people that provided letters to the judge in Masterson’s trial. Both letters eventually made their way online, with many people quick to criticize the couple for what they said in them.
Kutcher’s letter was criticized for what people believed was the actor trying to bring up Masterson’s daughter in the case, while Kunis’ letter was slammed after the actress called Masterson an “amazing friend, confidant, and, above all, an outstanding older brother figure.”
Last week, Masterson, who is best known for his roles on That ’70s Show and Netflix’s The Ranch, was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for the rape of two women. The actor was convicted and found guilty on two of three forcible rape charges earlier this year.
