Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, criticized after supporting their friend Danny Masterson in his rape trial, are backing down. In a video posted on Instagram on Saturday, the Hollywood star couple apologizes and affirms their support for victims of sexual violence.
Danny Masterson was convicted of two rapes last June and sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday by a Los Angeles court. While awaiting this sentence, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher sent the judge two complimentary letters about the actor, known from the filming of their series. That 70’s show in the 1990s. It is these letters, which have since been revealed, that have earned them the ire of Internet users.
“These letters were written for the judge to read and not to question the victims’ testimony or further traumatize them,” Ashton Kutcher says in the video.
“We would never want to do that, and we are sorry if that is what happened,” he continues, before telling how these letters came about: “A few months ago, Danny’s family contacted us to ask us to write letters that would paint a portrait of the person we have known for 25 years. The objective was for the judge to take all this into account before passing sentence.”
“They were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system or the jury’s verdict,” adds Mila Kunis. “Our hearts go out to anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse or rape.”
“A model”
Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, married and parents of two, are among about 50 people who wrote letters to the judge in support of Danny Masterson, according to Variety. Among them, two other stars of the hit comedy: Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith.
“Danny has always been a role model for me,” Ashton Kutcher wrote in his post, as reported. People Magazine. “He always treated people with decency, equality and generosity.” the star of Sex friends He concluded his letter hoping that “his testimony would be taken into account during his sentencing,” according to Entertainment Weekly:
“I don’t think (Danny Masterson) poses a threat to society, and it would be unfair for his daughter to grow up without a father present,” he wrote.
Mila Kunis’s letter presents a similar portrait of her former colleague: “He is an extraordinary friend, a confidant and, above all, a wonderful surrogate big brother to me,” she wrote in particular.
Allegations in the context of Scientology
With this sentence of 30 years in prison, Danny Masterson received the maximum sentence he faced. The 47-year-old actor, a prominent member of the Church of Scientology, was pursued by three women, also Scientologists.
They all accused him of raping them in his Hollywood Hills home between 2001 and 2003. The jurors agreed on two of them and did not reach the unanimity necessary to pronounce a verdict on the third. At the hearing, the prosecution estimated that the actor had “drugged and raped” his victims.
This issue, sparked in 2017 following accusations against former producer Harvey Weinstein that sparked the birth of the #MeToo movement, also raised questions about the role of the Church of Scientology. Two of the complainants claimed in particular that the organization, well established in Los Angeles, had discouraged them from contacting the police.
The actor plans to appeal
Danny Masterson’s defense, on the other hand, insisted that the plaintiffs’ story had evolved over the years and suggested that prejudice against Scientology could have motivated the trial. During a previous trial in November, a different jury refused to reach a verdict after failing to reach unanimity.
Danny Masterson is married to actress Bijou Phillips, with whom he has a 9-year-old daughter. He still maintains his innocence and plans to appeal his conviction, according to CNN.
After the actor’s arrest in June 2020, the Los Angeles County Prosecutor’s Office announced that it had dropped two other charges of sexual assault against him, due to lack of evidence and because the statute of limitations had expired.
Source: BFM TV
