Right, this is why everyone is furious with Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis right now

Between Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas’ divorce and Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet’s hard launch, we literally can’t move for celeb drama right now. And, on Sunday, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher were suddenly on the receiving end of serious backlash after character letter’s they’d written for their former co-star, Danny Masterson, who has now been sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women in 2003, went public.

In the letters dated 27 July 2023, Ashton described Danny – who the victims testified had drugged and violently raped them at his house while at the height of his fame for his role as That ’70s Show – as a man who treated people “with decency, equality, and generosity”. Meanwhile Mila had written Danny was “an outstanding role model and friend” and an “exceptional older brother figure”. And the internet was horrified.

I love how some of the arguments against the rightful pushback Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis are getting are like “But what would you do if one of your friends was accused of being a rapist? Would you just UNFRIEND them?!”
Yes, 100% yes. That’s an incredibly easy decision.

— Toni 🐀 (@ToniLouiseP) September 10, 2023

“I love how some of the arguments against the rightful pushback Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis are getting are like ‘But what would you do if one of your friends was accused of being a rapist? Would you just UNFRIEND them?!’ Yes, 100 per cent yes. That’s an incredibly easy decision,” wrote one person on Twitter to over 30k favourites of agreement.

“Unfortunately I’ve known lots of ‘awesome guys’ who were lovely to me but have been proven to be abusers privately,” wrote Christina Ricci, seemingly calling out Ashton and Mila. “I’ve also had personal experience with this. Believe victims. It’s not easy to come forward. It’s not easy to get a conviction.”

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Hours later, in an Instagram video filmed inside their multi-million dollar sustainable Los Angeles farmhouse, Ashton and Mila said “we’re sorry” for the “pain” they’d caused the Danny’s victims with the character letters they’d written for him and sent to the judge. In the post, shared to his profile, Ashton claimed 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 said.

“We support victims,” Mila added. “Our heart goes out to every single person who’s ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse, or rape.”

Ok so, who actually is Danny Masterson?

Danny Masterson knew Ashton and Mila from starring alongside them as Steven Hyde in That ’70s Show from 1998 until 2006. Back in 2016, he started working with Ashton again on a Netflix comedy called The Ranch but was written out of the series when the police investigation into the rape allegations started against him in 2017.

“I knew he belonged behind bars for the safety of all the women he came into contact with,” one victim said in court during the trial. “I am so sorry, and I’m so upset. I wish I’d reported him sooner to the police.”

And where does Hilary Duff come into all of this drama?

ashton kutcher is a slime ball pic.twitter.com/6ZOQ70Vf21

— riley (@princess_antifa) September 9, 2023

After Ashton’s character letter for Danny went public, the Twitter timeline quickly began to pull up his other past controversies and “Ashton Kutcher and Hilary Duff” was suddenly trending on Google. Basically, back in 2003 when Hilary was 15 and Ashton was 25 and she was about to appear on his MTV show Punk’d, Ashton said while introducing her: “Hilary Duff is in Lizzie McGuire, she also has an album out. She’s going to be in a movie called Cheaper by the Dozen – and she’s one of the girls that we’re all waiting for to turn 18. Along with the Olsen twins.”

The Tab has contacted Ashton Kutcher’s representatives for comment.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis’ backlash is a reminder – ‘good friends’ can be rapists too

• All the celebs who’ve spoken out following the Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher video

• Let’s call the backlash to Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet kissing what it is – sexist