Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis apologize for 'hurt' letters of support caused to rapist

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher have responded to backlash over their support of Masterson. Photo: Getty

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have apologized for the nature of the letter the famous couple wrote on behalf of That '70s Show actor Danny Masterson before he was sentenced for rape this week.

Judge in Los Angeles on Thursday sentenced Masterson to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women in 2003.

In a video posted to Instagram, Kutcher and Kunis said they regretted the pain they may have caused with the letters, which were made public Friday.

Kutcher said the letters asking for leniency «were intended to for the judge to read them, and not to undermine the victims’ testimony or in any way re-traumatize them.” We would never have wanted to do this, and we are sorry if this happened.»

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Kutcher said Masterson's family reached out to them after the actor was convicted in May and asked them to write character letters describing «the man we have known for 25 years.» The letters were posted online by The Hollywood Reporter and other digital publications.

Masterson starred alongside Kutcher, Kunis and Topher Grace on That '70s Show from 1998 to 2006.

He was reunited. opposite Kutcher in the 2016 Netflix comedy The Ranch, but was written out of the storyline when the Los Angeles Police Department investigation was revealed the following year.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlene F. Olmedo sentenced Masterson, 47, after hearing the women's statements and attorneys' calls for justice.

Kutcher described Masterson as a man who treats people «with integrity , equality and generosity,” he wrote in his letter dated July 27, 2023.

Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson on joint awards ceremony in 2017. Photo: AP

Kunis called Masterson an «outstanding role model and friend» and an «outstanding big brother.»

Both rapes occurred in Masterson's Hollywood neighborhood. home in 2003, when he was at the height of his fame. The victims testified that Masterson drugged them before brutally raping them.

In an apology video, Kunis said their letters were not intended to undermine the victims' testimony.

“Our heart goes out to everyone a person who has ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual assault or rape,” she said.