Before actor and Scientologist Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison following his conviction on two rape counts in Los Angeles, several of his That ’70s Show costars, including Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, reportedly wrote letters of support to the judge that they hoped would affect sentencing.
Three women accused the now convicted actor of raping them at his Hollywood Hills home between 2001 and 2003, a period during which Kutcher and Kunis shared the screen with Masterson. The trio starred on the Fox sitcom together from 1998 to 2006; Kutcher then reunited with Masterson for Netflix’s The Ranch, which Masterson was written out of in its third season after being accused of sexual misconduct in 2017. (Vanity Fair has reached out to reps for Kutcher and Kunis for additional comment.)
The letters were first published by legal affairs reporter Meghann Cuniff. In them, Kutcher refers to Masterson as a “role model” and “extraordinarily honest,” adding, “he is among few people that I would trust to be alone with my son and daughter,” whom he shares with Kunis. Kunis’s letter speaks of Masterson’s “exceptional character” and “tremendous positive influence” on her.
Other letters supporting Masterson were provided by his wife, actor Bijou Phillips, That ’70s Show stars Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith, and actor Giovanni Ribisi, who was raised as a Scientologist. “While I’m aware that the judgment has been cast as guilty on two counts of rape by force and the victims have a great desire for justice, I hope that my testament to his character is taken into consideration in sentencing,” Kutcher’s letter reads. “I do not believe he is an ongoing harm to society and having his daughter raised without a present father would [be] a tertiary injustice in and of itself. Thank you for taking the time to read this.”
Kutcher broke his silence on the allegations against Masterson in January 2023, telling Esquire that he wanted his former costar “to be found innocent of the charges brought against him.” The actor added, “Ultimately, I can’t know. I’m not the judge. I’m not the jury. I’m not the DA. I’m not the victim. And I’m not the accused. And so, in that case, I don’t have a space to comment. I just don’t know.”
Masterson’s conviction arrived after two trials; the first ended in a mistrial with a deadlocked jury in November 2022. In the second trial, Masterson was convicted of raping two of the three women. All Masterson’s accusers were members of the Church of Scientology. Prosecutors alleged that the organization helped cover up the allegations, which the church has denied.
Savannah Walsh
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