Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have issued a public apology for the letters they sent to the judge presiding over Danny Masterson's sexual assault trial in support of their former That '70s Show co-star.
On Saturday, the couple posted a video on Kutcher's Instagram page where they addressed the character letters they wrote for Danny Masterson where they called him a "role model" and had other positive things to say about the disgraced actor.
"We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson," Kutcher said in the video. Kunis chimed in to add, "We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future."
Ashton Kutcher explained that Masterson's family reached out to them to write letters representing the man they knew "for 25 years." According to Mila Kunis, the letters weren't written to question "the legitimacy of the judicial system, or the validity of the jury's ruling."
"They were intended for the judge to read and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or re-traumatize them in any way," said Kutcher. "We would never want to do that, and we're sorry if that has taken place."
Mila Kunis ended the video by stating their hearts go out to "every single person who's ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse or rape."
In his letter, Kutcher wrote highly of his co-star, saying: "Danny takes his job seriously. He is kind, courteous, and hard working. He treated everyone from the grips to the teamsters to the actors to the caterers as equals. As a role model, Danny has consistently been an excellent one…"
Mila Kunis, on the other hand, said Masterson was an "amazing friend, confidant, and, above all, an outstanding older brother figure. 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 were a part of the 50-person group who wrote letters to the judge asking for leniency in Danny Masterson's sexual assault case. Earlier this week, Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women and is eligible for parole when he's 77 years old.
