Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have addressed the controversy surrounding their letters of support in the sentencing of their former That 70s Show co-star, Danny Masterson.
Masterson, who was convicted back in May of raping two women, was sentenced to a jail term of 30 years to life on Thursday.
During the sentencing hearing, several members of Masterson's friends and family wrote letters to Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo.
Among the 50 individuals who wrote letters describing their personal accounts with Masterson were Hollywood power couple Kutcher and Kunis.
Kutcher referred to their former That ‘70s Show co-star as a "role model" and "a person that is consistently there for you when you need him."
"As a friend, Danny has been nothing but a positive influence on me. He’s an extraordinarily honest and intentional human being," Kutcher wrote. "Over [a] 25 year relationship I don’t ever recall him lying to me. He’s taught me about being direct and confronting issues in life and relationships head-on, resolving them, and moving forward."
Similarly, Kunis called Masterson her "dear friend" and "confidant, and, above all, an outstanding older brother figure to me."
The comments sparked anger from fans on social media, and raised questions about the role of celebrity influence in legal proceedings.
Now, in a joint video shared to Instagram, Kutcher and Kunis have taken turns clarifying the intent behind the letters they penned in support of Masterson. Watch the video below:
"We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson," Kutcher asserted. Kunis followed up, stating: "We support victims, we have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future."
The couple went into detail explaining the letters were prompted by Masterson's family, who had requested "character letters to represent the person that we knew for 25 years." Kutcher emphasized these letters aimed to assist the judge "take that into full consideration relative to sentencing."
Attempting to diffuse the rising tension, Kunis said: "The letters were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system or the validity of the jury's ruling."
Kutcher also conveyed his regret: "They were intended for the judge to read and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or retraumatize them in any way; we would never want to do that and we're sorry if that has taken place."
The actors, widely known for their philanthropic work, finished the video with Kunis saying: "Our heart goes out to every single person who has ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse, or rape."
Masterson's wife, Bijou Phillips, also wrote a letter describing him as a "life-saving partner," while stating: "Our daughter and I are heartbroken that he is not home with us."
Masterson's legal team has pledged to appeal the ruling.
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