LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: People are disappointed at Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis’ “gunpoint” apology after the couple posted a video apologizing for their letters to Judge Olmedo regarding their support for Danny Masterson, 47.
After Masterson of ‘That 70’s Show’ was convicted for the sexual assault of two women between 2001 and 2003 and sentenced to 30 years, letters of support from Masterson’s co-stars on the show resurfaced online, which created a huge uproar against the couple.
Saying, “We’re sorry,” Kutcher and Kunis apologized for “the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson” and pledged their support for the victims who have been wronged by Masterson in a video.
However, they have been strongly condemned by one of the victims, who is identified as Jane Doe 1 or Jen B. She wrote to journalist Yashar Ali saying Kutcher and Kunis’ apology did little to soothe her. She wrote, “This video was incredibly insulting and hurtful.”
The woman continued, “My hope is that they learn radical accountability and the importance of self-education to learn when to keep their privilege in check—especially Ashton, who claims to work with victims of sex crimes. And as to Mila, I can only think of "Times Up."”
What did Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis’ letters say about Danny Masterson?
Kutcher wrote in his letter that Masterson “became a friend, dedicated co worker, and role model” to him when he met him for the first time in 1998 and “has remained as such for 25 years.”
He further wrote, “As a role model, Danny has consistently been an excellent one. I attribute not falling into the typical Hollywood life of drugs directly to Danny.”
Kutcher explained, “Any time that we were to meet someone or interact with someone who was on drugs, or did drugs, he made it clear that that wouldn't be a good person to be friends with.”
He also called Masterson a “loyal husband,” saying, “We have spent countless hours together with our kids and he is among few people that I would trust to be alone with my son and daughter. He's also a dedicated and loyal husband with unwavering commitment to his wife.”
Kunis, on the other hand, said, referring to Masterson, “His unwavering commitment to being an exceptional older brother figure to me has had a transformative impact on my life, instilling in me a sense of self-belief and encouraging me to aim for greatness, but all while maintaining a sense of humility.”
She further added, “His genuine concern for those around him and his commitment to leading by example make him an outstanding role model and friend.”
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis' video 'sounds scripted' to the internet
Following Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis' apology and turning off their comments on Instagram, the social media site X (formerly known as Twitter) witnessed an influx of assailing comments against the popular couple.
One of the most common accusations against the couple was that they apologized at "gunpoint" with one user saying, "They sound like their publicists made them say this at gunpoint."
One person declared, "They will never recover professionally or personally from what they have done. It’s so horrible. They are “trying to do damage control” because they didn’t think the letters would be published to the judge. Despicable."
Another made a point to comment on Kutcher and Kunis' casual, make-up-free looks, wondering, "Why do celebrities try to look as rough as possible when making apology videos?"
Someone else commented, "Ashton kutcher is scarier than we know, his power runs deep."
Sharing a meme, another netizen said, "Their publicist behind the camera."
"And yet they still didn’t condemn his actions and basically admitted they didn’t think anyone but the judge would see the letters… yeah it’s over," another angry person pointed out.
Someone else said, "Apology because they had no idea those letters would be public vibe."
Another pointed out, "Notice how they make zero condemnation of their “friend’s” actions in this video." "Why does this sound scripted to me?" questioned yet another commenter.