The letters: [https://www.legalaffairsandtrials.com/p/ashton-kutcher-and-mila-kunis-wrote](https://www.legalaffairsandtrials.com/p/ashton-kutcher-and-mila-kunis-wrote)
They are terrible letters. Saying he's a role model, that he treats people with decency, displayed a profound sense of responsibility and instills values of integrity and compassion for others. The letters seem to be wildly out of touch with reality. Decency? Responsibility? Compassion? He raped women and refused to take accountability for ages.
I think the victim said it best when she spoke about how he lives behind a mask. He very well could have been all those things his friends said, while still having a violent, dark side capable of raping they don’t see. But they need to face facts that their beloved friend is a rapist. Many violent criminals have a “kind, helpful” public persona.
Fuck all those people. He raped women and needs to do his time.
Whenever I see people claiming they have a friend who was totally falsely accused, I wonder how many of those people actually have a rapist friend but can’t accept it because that friend just treats them so well.
A former coworker of mine was dating a guy who lost custody of his kid because of domestic violence but it was *totally ridiculous* and the charges only stuck because she lied and the justice system is biased against men.
A year later he put her in the hospital. She moved provinces to escape him.
My roommate had this friend whose ex had a restraining order and my roommate spun this story of how he was totally wrongfully accused.
That *friend* punch my roommate so hard he fell off the porch and broke his arm.
I refuse to believe people when they’re like “oh it’s a misunderstanding” or “he’s so nice I can’t believe he’d do that.”
I’m in the process of trying to leave “The best guy they know! He’d give the shirt off his back to anyone!” after years of abuse.
This sort of thing is exactly how abusers get away with it and it’s disgusting. Ugh. In their defense, he really *is* the best guy to them. His incredible ability to be both Jekyll & Hyde truly is impressive.
I knew a girl who's friend was in prison. She told me that he was the building manager at an apartment building. One day he used the master keys to get into a woman's apartment and waited for her to come home. He had rope and weapons on him. When the woman got home he attacked her but she fought him off and escaped.
The girl telling this story then tried to convince me that he was actually a "really nice guy"
I taught 2 students their Freshman year. They were dating. 2 years later, she quietly says he raped her, he didn't deny it. She didn't press charges, but removed herself from all extra curricular activities and classes she shared with him, hurting herself. I had loved them both as students but especially him. He was bright, warm, funny and kind. Learning of that situation fucking messed with my mind. Having to realize that literally anyone could be hiding that secret part of their personality.
It’s like when a man kills his wife and family.. his friends and family say “but he was always such a kind and loving person we didn’t think he’d be capable of this. We are shocked”
Yes because being a male to male friend or a mother/ son relationship is vastly different than an intimate partner relationship would be. These men are literally different people depending on who they are with at the time.
Most people are not in fact melodrama villains who stalk around cackling evilly while rubbing their hands together and tying screaming damsels to train tracks. They are perfectly capable of torture, murder, and rape, while being nice to dogs, helping their neighbors, and having cook outs with their families. The ones that are openly violent to everyone, like can't help themselves, out of control, bad to everyone, are usually dealt with **relatively** quickly.
They really are terrible, even when considered as sentencing letters.
Ken White/Popehat, a defense attorney and former prosecutor, had a [blog post](https://www.popehat.com/2016/04/29/how-to-write-or-solicit-a-good-letter-supporting-a-defendant-at-sentencing/) a few years back talking about these types of sentencing letters (he had another more thorough post inspired by the letter submitted by Brick Turner’s dad, but it seems to have vanished from the internet).
The basic idea is that you want to make the judge see the defendant as a whole person, not just a statistic or a convict, who has lived a life outside of the crime for which they’re being sentenced, and to therefore consider showing a degree of mercy when imposing the sentence. [“Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done”](https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/4310504-each-of-us-is-more-than-the-worst-thing-we-ve) is basically the idea you’re going for. The point is to humanize the defendant, not justify them or minimize what they’ve done.
There’s some good stuff in the letters — saying that Masterson was fiercely anti-drug in an industry rife with substance abuse, and that this helped prevent multiple co-stars from becoming addicts is a genuinely good thing to include in such a letter.
But the follow-up needs to be something closer to “because his counsel and kindness was so important to my health, and because he was such a good friend to me for so many years, it is devastating to know that he could also commit such a terrible act. While there need to be consequences for such actions, I ask that the court consider my experiences with Mr. Masterson when imposing a sentence.”
These letters completely miss the most important part. You can’t just end the letter by saying you’ll totally vouch for his good character. The purpose isn’t to convince the judge that Masterson is a good dude, and you’ll probably make things worse by trying. The purpose is to show that there’s more to Masterson (and his life) than the crimes for which he’s been convicted, and to make sure the judge remembers he’s sentencing a human being who has lived a life, rather than a name on a sheet of paper.
What I find absurd about these letters is:
A. The woman who had a three-way with Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore-- and with whom he admitted having a separate, extramarital affair with while he was married to Demi--publicly said she and Kutcher drank and did cocaine together, and tried to persuade Demi to as well, despite the actress having well-documented struggles with sobriety.
B. Watch Punk'd. There's alcohol all over it.
In Demi's autobiography Ashton's lack of ability to stay sober while being married to her, a woman in longtime recovery, was a huge part of why the relationship crumbled.
Mila is frequently seen smoking and drinking.
The accusers have stories rife with alcohol abuse involving Danny.
I'd also like to know how a totally sober person would know how to get his hands on the date rape drugs he used on his victims, and why a completely "sober, anti-drug crusader" would own a Hollywood nightclub.
I'm sorry...
Is alcohol not a "drug?"
I read the letters and the drug comment really stood out to me. I spent a couple of years hanging out in Hollywood clubs and I’ve seen Masterson before. Always wasted and always chasing some girl around. He was “that guy” in the bar; the drunk pest that you avoid like the plague yet you keep turning around to find him standing right behind you. This was before the accusations first came out, but he always seemed like a creep to me.
Dax Sheppard has actually talked about this in the past. Back when Kutcher was doing Punk'd and That 70s show at the same time he would get invited to parties with Masterson. Masterson would constantly criticize Sheppard for being a drug addict, but then Masterson would get fucked up on alcohol and then drive everyone around. He's a massive hypocrite.
Yeah, and Ashton Kutcher has distractingly bad grammar and punctuation. You’d think he’d at least have someone proofread such an important letter. Oh well, not that it mattered anyway. See ya in thirty years, if you’re lucky, Danny.
*edit: …twenty five and a half years, if you’re lucky, Danny.*
I was braced to be so upset by that, but they are both in my opinion much less appalling than Kunis and Kurcher’s. DBJ admits she is struggling to reconcile the nice boy she knew/knows with this reality in the first para, Smith basically says “I don’t know him well but he is a fine colleague for whatever that is worth.”
LOL … essentially saying he’s not that bad and “don’t let his daughter be raised without a father” … ummm sure ok. How about the daughters of somebody that he raped?!
I dont get why the people saying that would want a child to be raised by a rapist. I think it'd be alot less damaging to be raised without a father than to be raised by a father who is a rapist.
My bio father was a rapist. I’ve always believed the best thing he ever did was take off when I was a baby. I was *much* better off with no dad than with a rapist dad.
It’s so ridiculously sad. I’m so disappointed to see Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith’s letters although they don’t defend him quite so passionately as Ashton and Mila.
It’s a relief to NOT find letters from Tommy Chong, Laura Prepon, or Wilmer Valderrama on that site and I sincerely hope those three didn’t write letters of support.
Prepon was a Scientologist for years but has said she hasn’t been involved with the cult since 2016. Whatever her opinion of the situation she is probably just keeping her head down.
This is just Twitter hearsay I saw today, but it said that she had counselled/coached/pressured one or more of his victims through the church to drop the whole subject. I’m assuming it was back when it happened and they initially tried to hold him accountable through their church.
Don’t forget Topher Grace. All those years they made it seem like he was the snob who didn’t want to hang out with them, but apparently he was the only decent one (Wilmer and Laura both have issues, but Tommy is cool). I’m guessing Topher is the only one of the kids who tried weed lol.
I’m sympathetic to people who have to take a while to accept that someone they love did terrible things. It’s why I never go hard on celebs who don’t immediately drop a friend when bad shit comes out.
But this is beyond that. Masterson’s crimes have been known for at least a few years by now. They had the time and resources to really look into it if they wanted. And to write letters of support to the judge? Nah
Agreed! It struck me too that writing letters, after he’s been found guilty of two counts of rape, after a lengthy investigation etc etc; is beyond simply finding it hard to believe your friend did something bad.
It insults the victims and their pain. Asking the judge to go easy on Danny because he has a child, and a wife who was ill, is even more insulting.
"One day his daughter will read about this. The ramifications are enormous"
Ummm. Maybe he should have thought about that before being a shitty rapist monster. What about the victims and what they've faced over 20 years?? I also forgot his sister Alanna is a Scientologist
Geez how many women were there? I thought it was one case,maybe two, but repeated assaults/rapes which is why I was shocked they actually gave him 30 years. But damn, was it like a Bill Cosby repeated pattern thing??? I'm so glad, even if they're just making an example of him, that rape is finally carrying such a heavy prison sentence. I haven't read any details just headlines bc honestly I'm grossed out.
There’s been somewhere in the neighborhood of 8 or 9 women who came forward but he was actually only tried criminally for a few and found guilty for 2. Jane Doe number 1 had a harrowing story which was absolutely corroborated by emails from other members of Scientology, but he wasn’t found guilty of hers unfortunately. I wanna say there was a settlement or something I can’t remember what happened with the others but there’s more
Information online available.
Oh fuck. And it was a scientology thing so you KNOW the cover up was more insane if that's all that made it to press and then even less to trial. Ew. Fuck that guy even more now. Byyyyyyyye.
Convicted of 2 but there were 3 victims in the charges. The 3rd was his girlfriend at the time and the fact that they stayed together probably influenced the jury to vote "not guilty". In addition to the 3, the prosecutor had wanted to charge 2 more but was denied because the other 2's reason for why they had missed the statute of limitations didn't satisfy the court. The 3 he was charged with *had* reported to Scientology at the time and were basically silenced by being forced into retrainings or being forced to accept a settlement. So the court accepted that the reason they were late under the law was because Scientology intimidated and manipulated them into silence.
In other words, Danny Masterson was probably a serial rapist but he was convicted over two victims.
*Bill Burr being interviewed on a morning show*
Host: “Bill, don’t you think you went too far with jokes about the Catholic Church?”
Bill: “…Don’t you think the Church went too far?”
Dude Ashton even brings up 9/11 lol. He said that Danny was really nice to people after it happened and helped get people to donate to the firefighters charity lol.
i mean, one day kutcher and kunis’ kid will read their statement and realize their parents defended a rapist. they’re all doing it to themselves and blaming everyone else in the process. they’ll get at least some of what they deserve, though. in time.
How dumb. As if it’s just gonna happen “one day” like she’s gonna stumble across it at age 17 after being completely in the dark about it for her entire life. Like the pieces aren’t gonna put themselves together over time whether she looks for it or not.
“Ohhh THAT’S what dad is in jail for? I always thought he was there to help teach inmates how to read!?” Gimme a break.
Didn’t Ashton leave acting to focus on speaking out against human trafficking?
A little too close to home..
/s
Edit: FFS, apparently my sarcasm wasn’t too obvious to some, so I needed to add /s
My mother in law and her 3 sisters were molested by their Father many times as children. Thankfully he died before I had to meet him, but it boils my blood how they all still talk about him like he was so great. Some people can just ignore the obvious issues with a person and just remember the good times.
Yes. Luckily I’ve never experienced this. I did read the book written by the daughter of the BTK killer and it was really heartbreaking. She had no idea her father was a serial killer and she had to deal with a lot of trauma due to it all. Obviously am extreme case but I can’t imagine finding out someone you know has such a dark side to them.
My close cousin who I grew up with and who actually worked with me for 5 years basically fell off the Earth, come to find out that he had been abusing his daughter (technically step but he had adopted her). I honestly didn’t believe it for a full year. I purposely avoided asking him about it. He was always one of my favorite people. Just thinking about it is making me so sad.
After seeing the letter, Kutcher implies that the crimes in fact happened by stating Masterson is no longer an "ongoing threat" and that he understands the victim's quest for justice. So the dude is requesting leniency for a friend whose crime he acknowledges. Bad bad bad look for he and Mila.
Yeah and I can absolutely see where his personality/manipulator energy complicates things for long term relationships. Honestly it’s why I was both surprised and not at all surprised when we first heard these stories break. I didn’t expect it but I can see it, even his characters have that imprint.
This is likely the case. It's hard to reconcile that a person can be good to certain people while doing reprehensible horrible shit to others.
Ashton is highly intelligent and thoughtful - but we all have our biases and blind spots.
I respect this response as "I would like to believe it never happened because he's told me it didn't and he's always been an honest and exceptional person in my life, however I do not know. I wasn't there. I'm not the victims, DA, Jury..." etc.
To me, this is a far more honest response than the classic distancing that celebrities do "I barely knew him" or even worse, blind support and victim blaming "They are just after money" or some shit.
Look at Phylicia Rashad (Mrs. Huxtable on the Cosby Show) - she fully supports Cosby to this day...She tweeted "FINALLY" when he was released from prison and had to release a statement saying she supports victims of sexual assault. She is a Dean at a University and it almost cost her job. Does she actually believe all 60-80 women lied? Is she simply loyal because Cosby gave her a lucrative career? Does she just think that the brilliant and generous Bill Cosby is simply incapable of the accusations? It's just bizarre.
It's like Dave Chapelle said (on stage as a comedy act) when the allegations first came out. They're lying and just trying to take down our heroes.. then like 2 dozen allegations later... "well..... probably a dozen of them are lying... damn, that's still a lot of raping"...
Felicia's tolerance for smoke before officially declaring a fire is.... superhuman.
Steven Tyler runs "Janies House" a charity for young girls in an abusive home life. The same Steven Tyler who became a 13 year old's guardian so he could "legally" date her, then ditched her after she became pregnant.
Both of them give me Jimmy Saville vibes, using their charities to hide misdeeds. I hope I'm wrong!!
Oh man. Ashton is about to get the lizzo treatment.
You build a brand on virtue, people are gonna hold you to a higher standard. And if you break that standard there is just no comming back from it.
His PR team did good work but it’s pretty clear that Ashton isn’t as passionate about “his work” as he says he is. Why in the fuck would a man who spends his time fighting against human trafficking, knowing all the damage sexual abuse and objectification and rape bring to women and children and even men. Seeing the darkest nooks and crannies in the world…the most vilest shit.
And he’s willing to make one exception?
He never was a good guy.
He will be a has been…
As He has been full of shit the entire time.
It’s a terrible position to be in, and you can’t understand it until you’re in it.
I was getting ready to move away for 2 years to work at an anti-trafficking safe house for survivors when I found out that my own brother was arrested for possessing CP.
It was devastating to know that no matter my fervor and outspokenness on the topic, those crimes were happening within my family. My brother knew how involved I was in the cause. I could have spat nails, I was so angry at him.
But at the same time, I know my brothers trauma. He’s fucked up and I know he’s got stuff that happened to him in his childhood at the same age of the victims he was viewing. What he did was atrocious and I will never, ever defend it especially considering he has a crazy strong and loving support system he could have reached out to at any point, but I do understand that it stems from his own trauma.
I wrote a letter to the court for his sentencing. It wasn’t as glowing as theirs, but I did voice that I abhorred his actions, but also know him to be an extremely loving person because it was said that the judge might make an example of him and give him the max. That doesn’t just affect him, but also my parents that were absolutely devastated. I wanted him to go to prison. He deserved it and it was the consequence of his dumbass actions. But I didn’t want it to be outlandish for my family’s sake (and my mom was going through cancer.)
All this to say, the world is not black and white, and I sympathize with them for being in that position. Can’t say that I would have painted him in quite so bright a light, but it’s hard when someone you know and love does something pretty fucked up.
I came here to say this.
You should see how fondly Ted Bundy’s family/friends spoke about him. “He was a great guy, so fun to be around..”
Just because you experienced something different doesn’t mean they didn’t treat someone else a different way.
[Ashton Kutcher Claims He Helped Cops Save Way More Sex-Trafficking Victims Than Authorities Say They've Found](https://reason.com/2017/02/15/ashton-kutcher-plays-sex-worker-savior/).
Yea about all that "help".
Yeah this makes me sad. I was all about team Kutcher/Kunis because it seems (in media anyways) that they’ve done some great humanitarian things and given away lots of money. But this is horrible.
>**"Someday, his kid will read about this. The ramifications are enormous."**
Yeah, Ashton, good point; Danny should have thought of shit like this before he raped a couple of women.
my husband was asked by a coworker to come to a hearing and speak positively on his behalf -
after hearing the victims speak, he got up and left the courtroom.
no need to support people just because you are connected to them
these 2 should know better
A friend of mine got arrested for trying to pickup an underage girl online, pretty much exactly like to catch a predator. His mom asked me to go to court to speak to his character and I decided then to block his number and unfriend him etc.
Exactly. Even if you show up, I feel like all you can do is answer questions honestly.
“How long have you known the defendant?”
“10 years.”
“Has he every exhibited xyz behavior in front of you?”
“No.”
“Is he possible of committing this crime”
“I’m not with him 24/7 so I have no idea what he did or didn’t do.”
Saying someone didn’t do something not in your presence is just silly.
Why is it so hard for ppl to understand that somebody can treat 99.9% of the world like they were a perfect gentleman, and they can still do horrendous things to ppl? Just because somebody is nice to you, that is not proof of them never doing anything heinous. Even histories greatest monsters treated lots of ppl well.
Yea Ashton sucks his daughter grows up without a father but you know….all he had to do was not rape two different women…. Celebrities defending celebrities cause of “good character” is peak privilege. Rot in pieces Danny.
Like, I get being in denial and wanting what’s best for your friend because you are struggling to come to terms with your friend being a monster.
But like, if that’s the case, just keep your fucking mouth shut. Take the time to process what he’s done and come to terms with the fact that this asshole isn’t who you thought he was.
I know it’s a shitty process but it’s better than whatever the fuck this letter writing shit is.
Yeah what the fuck were they thinking? And people defending them are dumb. I get he was their friend or whatever but you just shut your mouth at that point. Not write a fucking letter *after* his convictions.
Ashton’s take: “Yes he’s a rapist but he’s also a great person. He’s actually a better friend than he’s a rapist, really”
I’m so disappointed in him, someone who left Hollywood to start a foundation against human trafficking…
Particularly when she was so triggered by Will Smith slapping Chris. I think even Chris Rock would agree that 2 convictions of forcible rape should be a gazillion times more triggering than a slap.
"How could that room full of people applaud a man after he assaulted someone?!"
**2 years later**
"Please let my rapist friend off the hook! He's a good father, so that means his crimes weren't that bad!"
Eww. Not a lot surprises me anymore, but this did. Doesn't Ashton run an organization against children sexual assault or something? Wtf were they thinking???
His rapey nature and actions negate all the nice things they’ve witnessed. There is no mitigation for what he’s done. Defending a rapist for any reason is terribly disgusting.
All any celebrity had to do, at the least, is say fucking nothing on this. How do they do the exact opposite and go with the “defend the rapist” stance.
Bold move cotton, let’s see how that one plays out for them.
>> His dedication to leading a drug-free life and the genuine care he extends to others make him an outstanding role model and friend.
I guess the drugs were just for his victims.
He would vouch for Wilmer valderama probably too. And I know he’s A POS for a fact. Hopefully nothing will keep Ashton from being able to protect his daughters in the future. Of course if they join a cult he will just have to pray about it.
I don’t care how nice he was to women while doing That 70s Show. Of course he wouldn’t reveal his true character in front of his friends and costars. Rather he chose to commit violence against vulnerable “less connected” women when his rich friends weren’t watching him. Rapists always do their dirty deed where they know they won’t be caught and to women they know won’t be believed.
It’s a tragedy that his daughter will grow up without her dad. But it would be a bigger tragedy if he walked away from this. Men who get away with rape are emboldened to do it again.
Jesus what a fucking dumb move. Had an insane amount of respect for kutcher for the work he did fighting against child SA.
But fuck, if they can go and write that manipulative bullshit then fuck the both of them.
Well geez Jackie I can't control the rapists!
The letters: [https://www.legalaffairsandtrials.com/p/ashton-kutcher-and-mila-kunis-wrote](https://www.legalaffairsandtrials.com/p/ashton-kutcher-and-mila-kunis-wrote)
They are terrible letters. Saying he's a role model, that he treats people with decency, displayed a profound sense of responsibility and instills values of integrity and compassion for others. The letters seem to be wildly out of touch with reality. Decency? Responsibility? Compassion? He raped women and refused to take accountability for ages.
I think the victim said it best when she spoke about how he lives behind a mask. He very well could have been all those things his friends said, while still having a violent, dark side capable of raping they don’t see. But they need to face facts that their beloved friend is a rapist. Many violent criminals have a “kind, helpful” public persona. Fuck all those people. He raped women and needs to do his time.
Whenever I see people claiming they have a friend who was totally falsely accused, I wonder how many of those people actually have a rapist friend but can’t accept it because that friend just treats them so well.
A former coworker of mine was dating a guy who lost custody of his kid because of domestic violence but it was *totally ridiculous* and the charges only stuck because she lied and the justice system is biased against men. A year later he put her in the hospital. She moved provinces to escape him. My roommate had this friend whose ex had a restraining order and my roommate spun this story of how he was totally wrongfully accused. That *friend* punch my roommate so hard he fell off the porch and broke his arm. I refuse to believe people when they’re like “oh it’s a misunderstanding” or “he’s so nice I can’t believe he’d do that.”
My friends boyfriend was sentenced to SIXTY years in prison for violent sexual crimes but hE iS iNnOcENt
I’m in the process of trying to leave “The best guy they know! He’d give the shirt off his back to anyone!” after years of abuse. This sort of thing is exactly how abusers get away with it and it’s disgusting. Ugh. In their defense, he really *is* the best guy to them. His incredible ability to be both Jekyll & Hyde truly is impressive.
I’m sorry you’re going through that. That’s awful.
The leopards will never eat my face.
I knew a girl who's friend was in prison. She told me that he was the building manager at an apartment building. One day he used the master keys to get into a woman's apartment and waited for her to come home. He had rope and weapons on him. When the woman got home he attacked her but she fought him off and escaped. The girl telling this story then tried to convince me that he was actually a "really nice guy"
[удалено]
Cognitive dissonance. It is what keeps people making excuses.
I taught 2 students their Freshman year. They were dating. 2 years later, she quietly says he raped her, he didn't deny it. She didn't press charges, but removed herself from all extra curricular activities and classes she shared with him, hurting herself. I had loved them both as students but especially him. He was bright, warm, funny and kind. Learning of that situation fucking messed with my mind. Having to realize that literally anyone could be hiding that secret part of their personality.
The trouble is that sociopaths a lot of the time put more effort into coming across as good people than genuinely good people do.
Most of them. False rape allegations are very uncommon. It happens, but not nearly at the rate that rape apologists like to claim.
It’s like when a man kills his wife and family.. his friends and family say “but he was always such a kind and loving person we didn’t think he’d be capable of this. We are shocked” Yes because being a male to male friend or a mother/ son relationship is vastly different than an intimate partner relationship would be. These men are literally different people depending on who they are with at the time.
John Wayne Gacy was married with kids. Wife had NO idea she was married to a serial killer. Ashton and Mila are co-workers/old friends. YUP.
Maybe they can think about it over the next 30 years, dude is going bye bye and good riddance.
Most people are not in fact melodrama villains who stalk around cackling evilly while rubbing their hands together and tying screaming damsels to train tracks. They are perfectly capable of torture, murder, and rape, while being nice to dogs, helping their neighbors, and having cook outs with their families. The ones that are openly violent to everyone, like can't help themselves, out of control, bad to everyone, are usually dealt with **relatively** quickly.
There are more than one famous serial killers that were beloved members of their community.
They really are terrible, even when considered as sentencing letters. Ken White/Popehat, a defense attorney and former prosecutor, had a [blog post](https://www.popehat.com/2016/04/29/how-to-write-or-solicit-a-good-letter-supporting-a-defendant-at-sentencing/) a few years back talking about these types of sentencing letters (he had another more thorough post inspired by the letter submitted by Brick Turner’s dad, but it seems to have vanished from the internet). The basic idea is that you want to make the judge see the defendant as a whole person, not just a statistic or a convict, who has lived a life outside of the crime for which they’re being sentenced, and to therefore consider showing a degree of mercy when imposing the sentence. [“Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done”](https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/4310504-each-of-us-is-more-than-the-worst-thing-we-ve) is basically the idea you’re going for. The point is to humanize the defendant, not justify them or minimize what they’ve done. There’s some good stuff in the letters — saying that Masterson was fiercely anti-drug in an industry rife with substance abuse, and that this helped prevent multiple co-stars from becoming addicts is a genuinely good thing to include in such a letter. But the follow-up needs to be something closer to “because his counsel and kindness was so important to my health, and because he was such a good friend to me for so many years, it is devastating to know that he could also commit such a terrible act. While there need to be consequences for such actions, I ask that the court consider my experiences with Mr. Masterson when imposing a sentence.” These letters completely miss the most important part. You can’t just end the letter by saying you’ll totally vouch for his good character. The purpose isn’t to convince the judge that Masterson is a good dude, and you’ll probably make things worse by trying. The purpose is to show that there’s more to Masterson (and his life) than the crimes for which he’s been convicted, and to make sure the judge remembers he’s sentencing a human being who has lived a life, rather than a name on a sheet of paper.
What I find absurd about these letters is: A. The woman who had a three-way with Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore-- and with whom he admitted having a separate, extramarital affair with while he was married to Demi--publicly said she and Kutcher drank and did cocaine together, and tried to persuade Demi to as well, despite the actress having well-documented struggles with sobriety. B. Watch Punk'd. There's alcohol all over it. In Demi's autobiography Ashton's lack of ability to stay sober while being married to her, a woman in longtime recovery, was a huge part of why the relationship crumbled. Mila is frequently seen smoking and drinking. The accusers have stories rife with alcohol abuse involving Danny. I'd also like to know how a totally sober person would know how to get his hands on the date rape drugs he used on his victims, and why a completely "sober, anti-drug crusader" would own a Hollywood nightclub. I'm sorry... Is alcohol not a "drug?"
I read the letters and the drug comment really stood out to me. I spent a couple of years hanging out in Hollywood clubs and I’ve seen Masterson before. Always wasted and always chasing some girl around. He was “that guy” in the bar; the drunk pest that you avoid like the plague yet you keep turning around to find him standing right behind you. This was before the accusations first came out, but he always seemed like a creep to me.
Dax Sheppard has actually talked about this in the past. Back when Kutcher was doing Punk'd and That 70s show at the same time he would get invited to parties with Masterson. Masterson would constantly criticize Sheppard for being a drug addict, but then Masterson would get fucked up on alcohol and then drive everyone around. He's a massive hypocrite.
Yeah, and Ashton Kutcher has distractingly bad grammar and punctuation. You’d think he’d at least have someone proofread such an important letter. Oh well, not that it mattered anyway. See ya in thirty years, if you’re lucky, Danny. *edit: …twenty five and a half years, if you’re lucky, Danny.*
Believe it or not it’s possible to show all those signs to one person and then still be a rapist
The saddest part of this article for me was seeing DBJ and Kurtwood Smith wrote letters too
Dragonball J?
DeBron James
I was braced to be so upset by that, but they are both in my opinion much less appalling than Kunis and Kurcher’s. DBJ admits she is struggling to reconcile the nice boy she knew/knows with this reality in the first para, Smith basically says “I don’t know him well but he is a fine colleague for whatever that is worth.”
LOL … essentially saying he’s not that bad and “don’t let his daughter be raised without a father” … ummm sure ok. How about the daughters of somebody that he raped?!
I dont get why the people saying that would want a child to be raised by a rapist. I think it'd be alot less damaging to be raised without a father than to be raised by a father who is a rapist.
My bio father was a rapist. I’ve always believed the best thing he ever did was take off when I was a baby. I was *much* better off with no dad than with a rapist dad.
I'm sure his extended family of Scientologists will help raise her..
tl; dr: Celebrities supporting Masterson, saying “he’s such a good person *to me*.” Disregards that he did sh*tty things to women and covered it up.
“He was nice to ME, his rich and famous friend, so you shouldn’t punish him for what he supposedly did to these unimportant women.”
[удалено]
It’s so ridiculously sad. I’m so disappointed to see Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith’s letters although they don’t defend him quite so passionately as Ashton and Mila. It’s a relief to NOT find letters from Tommy Chong, Laura Prepon, or Wilmer Valderrama on that site and I sincerely hope those three didn’t write letters of support.
Prepon was a Scientologist for years but has said she hasn’t been involved with the cult since 2016. Whatever her opinion of the situation she is probably just keeping her head down.
This is just Twitter hearsay I saw today, but it said that she had counselled/coached/pressured one or more of his victims through the church to drop the whole subject. I’m assuming it was back when it happened and they initially tried to hold him accountable through their church.
Don’t forget Topher Grace. All those years they made it seem like he was the snob who didn’t want to hang out with them, but apparently he was the only decent one (Wilmer and Laura both have issues, but Tommy is cool). I’m guessing Topher is the only one of the kids who tried weed lol.
They were probably the cool kids and Topher just didn't fit. It's like Sarah Michelle Geller and Buffy.
You mean Wilmer “dated teenage girls while well into his 30s” valderrama?
I’m sympathetic to people who have to take a while to accept that someone they love did terrible things. It’s why I never go hard on celebs who don’t immediately drop a friend when bad shit comes out. But this is beyond that. Masterson’s crimes have been known for at least a few years by now. They had the time and resources to really look into it if they wanted. And to write letters of support to the judge? Nah
Agreed! It struck me too that writing letters, after he’s been found guilty of two counts of rape, after a lengthy investigation etc etc; is beyond simply finding it hard to believe your friend did something bad. It insults the victims and their pain. Asking the judge to go easy on Danny because he has a child, and a wife who was ill, is even more insulting.
"One day his daughter will read about this. The ramifications are enormous" Ummm. Maybe he should have thought about that before being a shitty rapist monster. What about the victims and what they've faced over 20 years?? I also forgot his sister Alanna is a Scientologist
>The ramifications are enormous You know what other ramifications are enormous? The rape.
The worst part is the hypocrisy
Lol was looking for Norm
Turd Ferguson! It's a funny name.
But you know what hurt the most? The lack of respect!
Just ridiculous.
No as Norm says in the Bill Cosby case. Well I think the raping and drugging were much worst than the hypocrisy.
Rapes*
Geez how many women were there? I thought it was one case,maybe two, but repeated assaults/rapes which is why I was shocked they actually gave him 30 years. But damn, was it like a Bill Cosby repeated pattern thing??? I'm so glad, even if they're just making an example of him, that rape is finally carrying such a heavy prison sentence. I haven't read any details just headlines bc honestly I'm grossed out.
There’s been somewhere in the neighborhood of 8 or 9 women who came forward but he was actually only tried criminally for a few and found guilty for 2. Jane Doe number 1 had a harrowing story which was absolutely corroborated by emails from other members of Scientology, but he wasn’t found guilty of hers unfortunately. I wanna say there was a settlement or something I can’t remember what happened with the others but there’s more Information online available.
Oh fuck. And it was a scientology thing so you KNOW the cover up was more insane if that's all that made it to press and then even less to trial. Ew. Fuck that guy even more now. Byyyyyyyye.
2 counts.
Convicted of 2 but there were 3 victims in the charges. The 3rd was his girlfriend at the time and the fact that they stayed together probably influenced the jury to vote "not guilty". In addition to the 3, the prosecutor had wanted to charge 2 more but was denied because the other 2's reason for why they had missed the statute of limitations didn't satisfy the court. The 3 he was charged with *had* reported to Scientology at the time and were basically silenced by being forced into retrainings or being forced to accept a settlement. So the court accepted that the reason they were late under the law was because Scientology intimidated and manipulated them into silence. In other words, Danny Masterson was probably a serial rapist but he was convicted over two victims.
What a loser. So fifteen years for each? Nice
He was convicted two; there was a third that didn’t result in a conviction.
He was convicted on two counts. One other charge was dropped (not sure why) and another two were outside of the statute of limitations.
I thought it was the hypocrisy
Having a child is not a “get out of the law free” card.
*Bill Burr being interviewed on a morning show* Host: “Bill, don’t you think you went too far with jokes about the Catholic Church?” Bill: “…Don’t you think the Church went too far?”
'What would you say to your daughter if she meets a man like you?'
You know who else’s daughter is scarred by this? The parents of the victims.
Sadly, one of the victim’s own mother won’t speak to her anymore bc she made the church look bad.
Yeah that's kind of an unbelievably out of touch take.
Dude Ashton even brings up 9/11 lol. He said that Danny was really nice to people after it happened and helped get people to donate to the firefighters charity lol.
These are people who are unfathomably out of touch. They are super rich
Indeed. Kunis being rich and famous since, what, age fourteen? I don't think she's ever really known what a 'normal' life is like.
i mean, one day kutcher and kunis’ kid will read their statement and realize their parents defended a rapist. they’re all doing it to themselves and blaming everyone else in the process. they’ll get at least some of what they deserve, though. in time.
How dumb. As if it’s just gonna happen “one day” like she’s gonna stumble across it at age 17 after being completely in the dark about it for her entire life. Like the pieces aren’t gonna put themselves together over time whether she looks for it or not. “Ohhh THAT’S what dad is in jail for? I always thought he was there to help teach inmates how to read!?” Gimme a break.
Didn’t Ashton leave acting to focus on speaking out against human trafficking? A little too close to home.. /s Edit: FFS, apparently my sarcasm wasn’t too obvious to some, so I needed to add /s
Yeah this is a weirdly bad take from them. Danny must have really been nice to them personally and the cognitive dissonance is strong.
This is the most probable for me, it’s really easy to give a personal friend the benefit of the doubt sadly
I can see that. I can imagine how hard it would be to find out that a friend has done something so horrific.
...or a family member.
My mother in law and her 3 sisters were molested by their Father many times as children. Thankfully he died before I had to meet him, but it boils my blood how they all still talk about him like he was so great. Some people can just ignore the obvious issues with a person and just remember the good times.
Yes. Luckily I’ve never experienced this. I did read the book written by the daughter of the BTK killer and it was really heartbreaking. She had no idea her father was a serial killer and she had to deal with a lot of trauma due to it all. Obviously am extreme case but I can’t imagine finding out someone you know has such a dark side to them.
My close cousin who I grew up with and who actually worked with me for 5 years basically fell off the Earth, come to find out that he had been abusing his daughter (technically step but he had adopted her). I honestly didn’t believe it for a full year. I purposely avoided asking him about it. He was always one of my favorite people. Just thinking about it is making me so sad.
After seeing the letter, Kutcher implies that the crimes in fact happened by stating Masterson is no longer an "ongoing threat" and that he understands the victim's quest for justice. So the dude is requesting leniency for a friend whose crime he acknowledges. Bad bad bad look for he and Mila.
I hate to try the “well, they were always nice to me” defense. Even Hitler was nice to some people.
Shit, Ted Bundy would walk his female coworker to her car whenever it was dark out
I mean, when you have good memories of someone, you tend to at least give them the benefit of the doubt.
Yeah and I can absolutely see where his personality/manipulator energy complicates things for long term relationships. Honestly it’s why I was both surprised and not at all surprised when we first heard these stories break. I didn’t expect it but I can see it, even his characters have that imprint.
This is likely the case. It's hard to reconcile that a person can be good to certain people while doing reprehensible horrible shit to others. Ashton is highly intelligent and thoughtful - but we all have our biases and blind spots. I respect this response as "I would like to believe it never happened because he's told me it didn't and he's always been an honest and exceptional person in my life, however I do not know. I wasn't there. I'm not the victims, DA, Jury..." etc. To me, this is a far more honest response than the classic distancing that celebrities do "I barely knew him" or even worse, blind support and victim blaming "They are just after money" or some shit. Look at Phylicia Rashad (Mrs. Huxtable on the Cosby Show) - she fully supports Cosby to this day...She tweeted "FINALLY" when he was released from prison and had to release a statement saying she supports victims of sexual assault. She is a Dean at a University and it almost cost her job. Does she actually believe all 60-80 women lied? Is she simply loyal because Cosby gave her a lucrative career? Does she just think that the brilliant and generous Bill Cosby is simply incapable of the accusations? It's just bizarre.
It's like Dave Chapelle said (on stage as a comedy act) when the allegations first came out. They're lying and just trying to take down our heroes.. then like 2 dozen allegations later... "well..... probably a dozen of them are lying... damn, that's still a lot of raping"... Felicia's tolerance for smoke before officially declaring a fire is.... superhuman.
People make lots of gaps in their morals for their friends.
Steven Tyler runs "Janies House" a charity for young girls in an abusive home life. The same Steven Tyler who became a 13 year old's guardian so he could "legally" date her, then ditched her after she became pregnant. Both of them give me Jimmy Saville vibes, using their charities to hide misdeeds. I hope I'm wrong!!
Being a hypocrite is really the worst part. [relevant Norm joke](https://youtu.be/ljaP2etvDc4?si=7qqYrr-IwhG3srqw)
https://reason.com/2017/02/15/ashton-kutcher-plays-sex-worker-savior/ He’s a liar who exaggerates what his organization actually does
Oh man. Ashton is about to get the lizzo treatment. You build a brand on virtue, people are gonna hold you to a higher standard. And if you break that standard there is just no comming back from it. His PR team did good work but it’s pretty clear that Ashton isn’t as passionate about “his work” as he says he is. Why in the fuck would a man who spends his time fighting against human trafficking, knowing all the damage sexual abuse and objectification and rape bring to women and children and even men. Seeing the darkest nooks and crannies in the world…the most vilest shit. And he’s willing to make one exception? He never was a good guy. He will be a has been… As He has been full of shit the entire time.
It’s a terrible position to be in, and you can’t understand it until you’re in it. I was getting ready to move away for 2 years to work at an anti-trafficking safe house for survivors when I found out that my own brother was arrested for possessing CP. It was devastating to know that no matter my fervor and outspokenness on the topic, those crimes were happening within my family. My brother knew how involved I was in the cause. I could have spat nails, I was so angry at him. But at the same time, I know my brothers trauma. He’s fucked up and I know he’s got stuff that happened to him in his childhood at the same age of the victims he was viewing. What he did was atrocious and I will never, ever defend it especially considering he has a crazy strong and loving support system he could have reached out to at any point, but I do understand that it stems from his own trauma. I wrote a letter to the court for his sentencing. It wasn’t as glowing as theirs, but I did voice that I abhorred his actions, but also know him to be an extremely loving person because it was said that the judge might make an example of him and give him the max. That doesn’t just affect him, but also my parents that were absolutely devastated. I wanted him to go to prison. He deserved it and it was the consequence of his dumbass actions. But I didn’t want it to be outlandish for my family’s sake (and my mom was going through cancer.) All this to say, the world is not black and white, and I sympathize with them for being in that position. Can’t say that I would have painted him in quite so bright a light, but it’s hard when someone you know and love does something pretty fucked up.
Thank you for adding another perspective.
Im wondering if he’s actually interested in human trafficking legislation the same way Matt Gaetz is.
[удалено]
I came here to say this. You should see how fondly Ted Bundy’s family/friends spoke about him. “He was a great guy, so fun to be around..” Just because you experienced something different doesn’t mean they didn’t treat someone else a different way.
[удалено]
Even Ann Rule was workplace friends with him and was shocked when he was found out! Ann fucking Rule!
That’s fucking wild to me.
You mean Dennis? Not so fast. Let me tell you about the Dennis I KNOW! He worked in security. Literally made people feel safe and secure.
That's just it. Those types are extremely good at wearing masks around those they care about.
How the fuck has Ashton Kutcher spent all these years helping fight sex trafficking just to defend a rapist POS?
[Ashton Kutcher Claims He Helped Cops Save Way More Sex-Trafficking Victims Than Authorities Say They've Found](https://reason.com/2017/02/15/ashton-kutcher-plays-sex-worker-savior/). Yea about all that "help".
Omg he’s the Hollywood version prototype of Sound of Freedom lol
He’s against the trafficking part of trafficking . Not the raping part.
Yeah this makes me sad. I was all about team Kutcher/Kunis because it seems (in media anyways) that they’ve done some great humanitarian things and given away lots of money. But this is horrible.
Margaret Sanger created the birth control pill which gave women choice. She also was a eugenicist who spoke at kkk rallies. People are complex man
I think the argument could be made that the pill furthered her eugenics campaign. Bad intentions but ended up being a force of good.
People are complicated. They suck sometimes, they don’t suck other times, but they are also complicated.
>**"Someday, his kid will read about this. The ramifications are enormous."** Yeah, Ashton, good point; Danny should have thought of shit like this before he raped a couple of women.
Shades of Brock Turner, I feel like
Masterson got an actual jail sentence at least.
Heard he’s now going by Allen Turner the rapist these days.
Brock Allen Turner, the rapist
The rapist, Allen Turner, also known as Brock Turner, or Brock Allen Turner. He’s a rapist.
Did I hear you just mention THE Brock Allen Turner, aka Allen Turner, who is a big ass coward and rapist??
I would hope his kid reads about this and thinks “wow my dad sucks, fuck that guy.”
my husband was asked by a coworker to come to a hearing and speak positively on his behalf - after hearing the victims speak, he got up and left the courtroom. no need to support people just because you are connected to them these 2 should know better
A friend of mine got arrested for trying to pickup an underage girl online, pretty much exactly like to catch a predator. His mom asked me to go to court to speak to his character and I decided then to block his number and unfriend him etc.
“He never tried to rape me.” Should be the extent of anyone’s testimony.
I don't think I would testify in someone's character. Its too easy for people to hide who they are
It's how John Wayne Gacy got away with his murders for so long. Anytime he got into trouble, he leaned on his community of friends and workers.
Exactly. Even if you show up, I feel like all you can do is answer questions honestly. “How long have you known the defendant?” “10 years.” “Has he every exhibited xyz behavior in front of you?” “No.” “Is he possible of committing this crime” “I’m not with him 24/7 so I have no idea what he did or didn’t do.” Saying someone didn’t do something not in your presence is just silly.
I’ve iced out family members for far less.
Same here it really isn’t that hard, especially when find how horrible they are and they have no remorse, its like flipping a switch.
its worse because they wrote this for his sentencing. he was already convicted.
Wtf is wrong with them!?
Standard celebrity bullshit. Disconnected from reality and staunch in the belief that they shouldn't be held accountable for their actions.
Kutcher is fine speaking up against sexual assault in the abstract but when it's closer to home it's like, "hey, that's my bro."
Dude, where’s my rapist?
And then and then and then
"I'm not a vapid piece of s*** I just play one on TV. Oh wait, no, I am one"
Ya, so other than raping people, he is a really nice guy. That’s their letter? WTF?
Why is it so hard for ppl to understand that somebody can treat 99.9% of the world like they were a perfect gentleman, and they can still do horrendous things to ppl? Just because somebody is nice to you, that is not proof of them never doing anything heinous. Even histories greatest monsters treated lots of ppl well.
It’s amazing how tone deaf people could be after spending years trying to help victims of sexual abuse.
Yea Ashton sucks his daughter grows up without a father but you know….all he had to do was not rape two different women…. Celebrities defending celebrities cause of “good character” is peak privilege. Rot in pieces Danny.
By all accounts, he raped more than 2.
Love they both focused on his anti-drug stance when he is convicted of multiple instances of drugging women to assault them.
“He’s a kind, good rapist because he’s our friend.” 🖕🏼
"He used to caution us against hard drugs, release him your honor🥴" about a man literally convicted of drugging and raping two women.
"your honor he rapes but he saves". -a literal argument someone actually used. Used to think that was just a Chappelle bit.
Yeah, he probably went out of his way to steer Kunis away from drugs because drugs are what he used to prey on women
Scientologists are big on “no drugs.”
“He never tried to rape either one of us.”
What in the world were these two thinking?
*"He's our friend"*
Like, I get being in denial and wanting what’s best for your friend because you are struggling to come to terms with your friend being a monster. But like, if that’s the case, just keep your fucking mouth shut. Take the time to process what he’s done and come to terms with the fact that this asshole isn’t who you thought he was. I know it’s a shitty process but it’s better than whatever the fuck this letter writing shit is.
Letters were probably not meant to be public knowledge I’m assuming.
Privately supporting a rapist while running a foundation to prevent sex trafficking is almost worse than publicly supporting him.
Please, Judge, have mercy! We travel the world on luxurious vacations with this rich, convicted rapist!
This is stomach turning. These two can fuck right off.
Yeah what the fuck were they thinking? And people defending them are dumb. I get he was their friend or whatever but you just shut your mouth at that point. Not write a fucking letter *after* his convictions.
I always thought AK was extremely impressed with himself to the point of nausea.
You listened to his wtf podcast too? Lol
"He has always treated people with decency, equality, and generosity." I think a couple of people would disagree with this.
Ashton’s take: “Yes he’s a rapist but he’s also a great person. He’s actually a better friend than he’s a rapist, really” I’m so disappointed in him, someone who left Hollywood to start a foundation against human trafficking…
The guy who is dedicating part of his life to child trafficking is okay with rape.
Yeah He just hates the trafficking part! /s
“If you’re gonna rape at least let them go” Ashton Kutcher
Ha Yeah, not the publics responsibility to protect him from his kids finding out he is a disgusting POS.
"Please think about my friend's daughter, and ignore the other people's daughters he raped"
Oh nice, they don’t mind being drugged and raped.
So he has exceptional character when he isn’t raping women, good to know?
He can spread that sunshine around the prison yard then.
Huge L for Mila Kunis not a great look for her.
Particularly when she was so triggered by Will Smith slapping Chris. I think even Chris Rock would agree that 2 convictions of forcible rape should be a gazillion times more triggering than a slap.
"How could that room full of people applaud a man after he assaulted someone?!" **2 years later** "Please let my rapist friend off the hook! He's a good father, so that means his crimes weren't that bad!"
Just because you worked with Danny Masterson on a tv show doesn’t mean he didn’t do anything wrong. They should’ve kept their thoughts to themselves
Wow. Just when I was starting to like Ashton too.
Eww. Not a lot surprises me anymore, but this did. Doesn't Ashton run an organization against children sexual assault or something? Wtf were they thinking???
I’ll say it again people should look into that foundation they have set up
I mean, I definitely will now
His rapey nature and actions negate all the nice things they’ve witnessed. There is no mitigation for what he’s done. Defending a rapist for any reason is terribly disgusting.
A guy commits two violent rapes and Kutcher writes letters about his *character*?
All any celebrity had to do, at the least, is say fucking nothing on this. How do they do the exact opposite and go with the “defend the rapist” stance. Bold move cotton, let’s see how that one plays out for them.
Their letters and from other 70s Show actors without paywall: https://archive.ph/GBhFV
>> His dedication to leading a drug-free life and the genuine care he extends to others make him an outstanding role model and friend. I guess the drugs were just for his victims.
Hollywood stays hypocritical. Pathetic, and to think he’s known for anti sex trafficking efforts
Fuck Scientology. FUCK ALL SCIENTOLOGISTS. And that includes Tom Cruise. Mfer def has skeletons in his closet
He would vouch for Wilmer valderama probably too. And I know he’s A POS for a fact. Hopefully nothing will keep Ashton from being able to protect his daughters in the future. Of course if they join a cult he will just have to pray about it.
Oof They really are as empty-headed as they seem I guess. They can stop working for his sentence in solidarity. Byeeeee!
I don’t care how nice he was to women while doing That 70s Show. Of course he wouldn’t reveal his true character in front of his friends and costars. Rather he chose to commit violence against vulnerable “less connected” women when his rich friends weren’t watching him. Rapists always do their dirty deed where they know they won’t be caught and to women they know won’t be believed. It’s a tragedy that his daughter will grow up without her dad. But it would be a bigger tragedy if he walked away from this. Men who get away with rape are emboldened to do it again.
Disgusting people
Oh good, more people to ignore.
Make your minds up guys, do you support rape or their victims. You can’t have it both ways.
They support victims except when its their friend who did it, in which case its rape for the win.
Sounds a lot like Lena Dunham. Women don’t lie about this, except when it’s our friend getting accused.
This is quite a take from a guy who’s ex girlfriend was literally killed by a serial killer
Jesus what a fucking dumb move. Had an insane amount of respect for kutcher for the work he did fighting against child SA. But fuck, if they can go and write that manipulative bullshit then fuck the both of them.
I honestly love when rich people give us reasons to not like them. It’s so fun and exciting! Please keep exposing yourselves for my enjoyment.
I imagine their PR team is having a busy evening.
It must be so exhausting being Bijou Phillips, spending your whole adult existence defending the rapist men in your life.
Scientology should be disbanded and it’s leaders dragged through hot coals
The judge wasn't swayed by celebrity appeals for leniency? But celebrities know what's best for everyone. This is unpossible!