Ashton Kutcher announced that he’s stepping back from his role as Board Chair at Thorn, the anti-human trafficking organization he co-founded, in light of the character letter he wrote in defense of Danny Masterson. His wife Mila Kunis is also reportedly stepping down from her board position.
“After my wife and I spent several days of listening, personal reflection, learning, and conversations with survivors and the employees and leadership at Thorn, I have determined the responsible thing for me to do is resign as Chairman of the Board, effectively immediately. I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve,” Kutcher wrote in a statement posted to Thorn’s website.
Earlier this month, after Masterson was sentenced to 30 years-to-life in prison for the rapes of two women, it was revealed that Kutcher, Kunis, and more That ’70s Show co-stars had written character letters to Judge Charlaine Olmedo. In his letter, Kutcher praised Masterson for setting “an extraordinary standard” in treatment of others, while Kunis touted him as an “outstanding role model.”
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“Victims of sexual abuse have been historically silenced and the character statement I submitted is yet another painful instance of questioning victims who are brave enough to share their experiences. This is precisely what we have all worked to reverse over the last decade,” Kutcher went on in his resignation letter. “The mission must always be the priority, and I want to offer my heartfelt apology to all victims of sexual violence and everyone at Thorn who I hurt by what I did. And to the broader advocacy community, I am deeply sorry.”
The actor, who co-founded Thorn with his ex-wife Demi Moore, concluded the letter by saying that he was “proud of what we have accomplished in the past decade and will continue to support Thorn’s work. Thank you for your tireless advocacy and dedication to this cause.”
After the initial backlash to their character letters, Kutcher and Kunis shared a joint apology video to Instagram, saying the letters “were intended for the judge and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or traumatize them in anyway.”
Earlier this year, Netflix premiered the first season of the reboot series That ’90s Show. Masterson was the only main cast member not to return.
