US actors Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have now said they did not mean to cause trauma to the victims of Danny Masterson after it was revealed late last week that they wrote letters of support for Masterson – now convicted of sexual assault.
The two shared a video on Instagram, following public outrage, in which they said they are “aware of the pain” they caused by supporting their former co-star.
Kunis and Kutcher co-starred with Masterson on That ’70s Show and were among nearly 50 people who advocated for leniency for the actor before he was sentenced last week on Thursday to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women in 2003.
Masterson has maintained his innocence and plans to appeal his case.
In their video shared on Instagram on Saturday, Kutcher said Masterson’s family asked them to write character letters describing “the person that we knew for 25 years so that the judge could take that into full consideration relative to the sentencing.”
“The letters were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system or the validity of the jury’s ruling,” Kunis said.
In their letters to the court, the couple vouched for Masterson’s character.
“I do not believe he is an ongoing harm to society,” Kutcher wrote, while Kunis described Masterson as an “outstanding role model and friend.”
Kutcher said their intention with the letters was “not to undermine the testimony of the victims or re-traumatize them in any way. We would never want to do that. And we’re sorry if that has taken place.”
“We support victims, we have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future,” Kunis said in the video.
The two are involved in several philanthropic efforts, including an organization Kutcher co-founded to combat sex trafficking.
Kunis concluded their message by saying, “Our heart goes out to every single person who’s ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse or rape.”
