Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher spoke Saturday about letters they wrote seeking prison leniency for Danny Masterson, the actor best known for his role on the sitcom “That ’70s Show” and the Years earlier, two women over 20 years old were found guilty of raping each other.
Masterson was sentenced Thursday to the maximum sentence of 30 years to life.
Letters to the judge in the case, Charlaine F. Olmedo of the Los Angeles Superior Court, posted Friday on Substacks by journalists who covered the trial, described the couple’s friendship with Masterson.
“I do not believe he is doing any lasting harm to society,” Kutcher, who is married to Kunis, wrote of Masterson in a July 27 letter, adding that “raising his daughter without a father present” is “a “tertiary injustice” would be in and of itself.”
In her letter, Kunis vouched for Masterson’s “extraordinary character and the enormous positive influence he had on me and the people around him.”
Masterson, 47, starred on “That ’70s Show” with Kutcher and Kunis from 1998 to 2006. Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith, two other co-stars on the show, also wrote letters to the judge in support of Masterson. praise their interactions with him while working together.
Kunis and Kutcher defended their letters in support of Masterson in a recorded statement posted to Instagram on Saturday, saying they were “not written to question the legitimacy of the justice system or the validity of the jury’s decision.” .
“They should be read by the judge,” Kutcher said. “And not to undermine the victims’ statements or re-traumatize them in any way. We would never want to do that and we are sorry if that happened.”
The letters from Kutcher and Kunis were intended to portray Masterson as someone critical of drug use. Kutcher said he attributed it to “not falling into the typical Hollywood drug lifestyle, straight to Danny.” Kunis said, “Danny played a crucial role in steering me away from such destructive paths.”
These statements appeared to be a response to specific allegations in this case.
Prosecutors had accused Masterson of drugging and then raping three women at his home in the Hollywood Hills section of Los Angeles between 2001 and 2003.
In the video statement, Kutcher said that he and Kunis were “aware of the pain caused by the letters.” Kunis added: “Our condolences go out to every single person who has ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse or rape.”
The couple said in the video on Instagram that Masterson’s family asked them to write the letters “to represent the person we knew for 25 years so the judge could fully take that into account when sentencing.”
Tony Ortega, one of the journalists who published the letters on his Substack “The Underground Bunker,” wrote: “These letter writers were probably aware that Judge Olmedo could actually only choose between 15 lives and 30 lives.”
“They knew they weren’t trying to convince them to release Danny from prison,” he added. Another Substack, “Legal Affairs and Trials with Meghann Cuniff,” also published the letters.
The case against Masterson attracted widespread attention, including because of allegations that the Church of Scientology, to which Masterson belonged, pressured his accusers to remain silent. The church denied having put pressure on the victims.
Kutcher and Kunis described deep connections with Masterson in their letters, with Kutcher saying Masterson had been his friend and role model for 25 years.
“We have traveled the world together, raised our daughters together and shared countless family moments,” Kutcher said, adding, “He is one of the few people I would trust to be alone with my son and daughter. “
Kunis added that Masterson’s “unwavering commitment to being an exceptional older brother to me has had a transformative impact on my life.”
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Masterson will be eligible for parole in 20 years.