Ashton Kutcher resigns from anti-sex abuse charity amidst Danny Masterson backlash
NetflixThat ’70s Show star Ashton Kutcher resigned from his anti-sex abuse charity after defending rapist Danny Masteron.
Former television star Danny Masterson was recently sentenced to 30 years in prison on multiple counts of rape.
At his sentencing, some of his co-stars from the popular sitcom That ’70s Show wrote letters defending his character, the two most amongst them being Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis.
However, the couple has received intense backlash for their letters defending a convicted rapist and it seems now that the backlash has spread to Kutcher’s personal charity.
Kutcher steps down from anti-sex abuse charity and apologizes
The Time reported that Kutcher publicly made the decision to step down from Thorn, the anti-child-sex-abuse organization he co-founded in 2009 with his ex-wife Demi Moore.
Kunis, while not an official board member, did server as a board observer and she has also stepped down from her position.
In a letter shared with Thorn’s board, Kutcher wrote, “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.
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 also used the letter to apologize to “all victims of sexual violence and everyone at Thorn who I hurt by what I did.”
The actor also apologized to the broader advocacy community and vowed to continue to support Thorn’s work despite leaving its board.
The couple’s decision to exit Thorn comes on the heels of the massive backlash they received for defending Masteron. Fans of their show were stunned by their actions and the discourse was so intense that Kutcher and Kunis quickly uploaded an apology video days after their letters were unsealed.
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