Getty Images (2)
Why Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis Won’t Turn Their Backs on Convicted Rapist Danny Masterson
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis won’t turn their backs on pal Danny Masterson and his family despite his rape conviction and prison term, a source tells In Touch exclusively.
“There’s decades of trust there just by virtue of the Masterson family being part of Ashton and Mila’s lives for decades now. Does that mean they forgive Danny for his horrible crimes? Not in the slightest. But he was their friend for many years and in that time, they became close to Danny’s family. That’s not an easy bond to break,” an insider explains.
“Ashton and Mila grew up on the set of the original That ’70s Show with the younger Masterson kids, Jordan and Alanna, around all the time. They look at them almost like younger siblings of their own because Danny was their best friend on planet Earth at the time,” the insider says of Masterson’s brother and sister.
“Over the years they’ve also cheered the young Masterson kids on and supported them in their own projects, and not just because Danny asked them to. Ashton and Mila see them as part of their extended L.A. family of people they got to know before they became household names,” the insider says.
Ashton, 46, Mila, 40, and Masterson, 48, rocketed to fame on Fox’s That ’70s Show, which ran from 1998 through 2006. Ashton and Danny reunited in 2016 to star on the Netflix sitcom The Ranch.
Danny was found guilty of two counts of rape on May 31, 2023. It was the second trial for the Men at Work star. He went to trial on the same charges in October 2022, but the jury could not come to an agreement, and it resulted in a mistrial. Danny’s second trial began on April 24, 2023. After the guilty verdicts, he faced up to 40 years in prison at sentencing.
Ashton and Mila faced intense backlash when it was revealed they sent letters to the judge overseeing Danny’s rape case asking for leniency at sentencing. They both called him a “role model,” in documents they believed would remain private.
“As a role model, Danny has consistently been an excellent one,” Ashton wrote, later adding, “He has always treated people with decency, equality, and generosity.”
The Jobs star went even further, calling Masterson “extraordinarily honest,” adding, “he is among few people that I would trust to be alone with my son and daughter,” referring to the two children whom he shares with Mila. The Black Swan star wrote in her letter about Masterson’s “exceptional character” and “tremendous positive influence” on her.
After the letters were made public, the couple put out an apology video on Instagram.
“We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson,” Ashton began. Mila said that the pair had “historically” supported victims and “will continue to do so in the future.”
Ashton stated that the letters “were intended for the judge to read and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or retraumatize them in any way. We would never want to do that and we’re sorry if that has taken place.”
He added that Masterson’s family reached out to the couple and asked them to write character letters “to represent the person that we knew for 25 years, so that the judge could take that into full consideration relative to the sentencing.”
Masterson is currently serving a 30-years-to-life prison sentence, which was handed down by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo on September 7, 2023.
Have a tip? Send it to us! Email In Touch at contact@intouchweekly.com.
