Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis apologise for character letters they wrote in support of Danny Masterson

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis issued a public apology on Saturday (Sep 9) for character letters they had written in support of their fellow That '70s Showactor, Danny Masterson, who was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for rape.

The apology comes after a Los Angeles judge handed down the severe sentence on Thursday, concluding a case in which Masterson was found guilty of raping two women in 2003.

In an Instagram video, Kutcher and Kunis expressed their regret for any pain their letters may have caused. The couple clarified that the letters were intended to be read by the judge and were not meant to undermine the testimony of the victims or re-traumatisethem in any way. Kutcher stated, "We would never want to do that, and we're sorry if that has taken place."

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Kutcher further explained that Masterson's family had approached them after the actor's conviction in May and asked for character letters that would describe the person they had known for 25 years. The content of these letters was made public on Friday by outlets like The Hollywood Reporter.

Danny Masterson shared the screen with Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and Topher Grace in the popular TV series That '70s Showfrom 1998 to 2006. Although he had a reunion with Kutcher on the Netflix comedy series The Ranchin 2016, he was written off the show the following year when the Los Angeles Police Department's investigation into the rape allegations became public.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo delivered the sentence to Masterson, who is 47 years old, after hearing statements from the victims and pleas for fairness from defence attorneys.

In his character letter dated July 27, 2023, Kutcher described Masterson as a man who treated people "with decency, equality, and generosity."

Kunis, in her letter to Judge Olmedo, referred to Masterson as "an outstanding role model and friend" and an "exceptional older brother figure."

Both rape incidents occurred in Masterson's Hollywood-area home in 2003 when he was a prominent figure on the Fox network sitcom That '70s Show. The victims testified that Masterson drugged them before violently assaulting them.

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