Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis Apologize After Writing Danny Masterson Letters
Category
✨
PeopleTranscript
00:00 "They were intended for the judge to read and not to undermine the testimony of the
00:04 victims or re-traumatize them in any way.
00:07 We would never want to do that.
00:10 We're sorry if that has taken place."
00:12 Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis issuing an apology after writing letters in support of Danny
00:18 Masterson ahead of his rape case sentencing.
00:21 The couple shared a video to Instagram Saturday after facing high public criticism over the
00:26 letters for their former That '70s Show co-star, in which they called him a "role
00:32 model with exceptional character," written in hopes of persuading the Los Angeles Superior
00:37 Court judge to show mercy to the disgraced actor.
00:41 "We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote
00:47 on behalf of Danny Masterson.
00:48 A couple months ago, Danny's family reached out to us and they asked us to write character
00:54 letters to represent the person that we knew for 25 years so that the judge could take
00:59 that into full consideration relative to the sentencing."
01:03 While they explain why they participated in written defense of Danny, Ashton and Mila
01:08 go on to clarify their intentions behind it.
01:11 "The letters were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system or the
01:16 validity of the jury's ruling."
01:18 "They were intended for the judge to read and not to undermine the testimony of the
01:24 victims or re-traumatize them in any way.
01:26 We would never want to do that.
01:29 We're sorry if that has taken place."
01:31 The stars also make it a point to show their alliance with victims of abuse.
01:35 "We support victims.
01:38 We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future.
01:42 Our heart goes out to every single person who's ever been a victim of sexual assault,
01:47 sexual abuse or rape."
01:49 Ashton and Mila weren't the only ones in Hollywood to step forward on behalf of Danny.
01:54 Actors Deborah Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith, who famously portrayed Kitty in Red Foreman
01:59 on That '70s Show, also wrote letters to the judge, along with Danny's longtime friend
02:05 Giovanni Ribisi and William Baldwin, whose wife, Chyna Phillips, is the sister of Danny's
02:11 wife Bijou Phillips.
02:14 In May, Danny was convicted of two counts of forcible rape against two women, which
02:19 happened at his Hollywood Hills home in the early 2000s.
02:22 "This was a long time coming.
02:25 Regardless of how long ago it happened, these crimes were committed.
02:29 There's a person responsible.
02:31 He needs to be held accountable."
02:33 And last week, the actor was ultimately sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.
02:38 "I've gotten to know the victims in this case quite well over the years.
02:45 And I can tell you they're strong.
02:53 We're committed to making sure that justice gets served.
02:57 And today they got it."
02:58 At the time, a spokesperson for the L.A. County Sheriff's Department told ET, Danny's been
03:03 housed in a single-man cell, with safety checks conducted approximately every 30 minutes.
03:10 "We're going to get him out of there.
03:11 We're going to get him out of there."
03:12 "We're going to get him out of there."
03:13 "We're going to get him out of there."
03:13 "We're going to get him out of there."
03:14 "We're going to get him out of there."
03:14 (upbeat music)
03:16 you