Actor Ashton Kutcher has stepped down from his position as chairman of the board of Thorn, an anti-child sex abuse organization, after facing harsh criticism for writing a letter supporting his former co-star, convicted rapist Danny Masterson.
In 2009, Kutcher founded the organization with his then-wife, Demi Moore.
“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,” Kutcher wrote in a statement to the Thorn board.
“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,” he continued.
Masterson, Kutcher’s former co-star on the hit show “That ’70s Show,” was convicted on two counts of forcible rape earlier this month. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Days after receiving backlash, Kutcher and his current wife, Mila Kunis, made an Instagram post apologizing for writing letters supporting Masterson before his sentencing hearing.
“We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters on behalf of Danny Masterson,” Kutcher said in the video, to which Kunis followed with, “We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future.”
Entertainment Tonight reported on the 50 people who wrote letters to the Los Angeles judge presiding over Masterson’s case in hopes of persuading her to show mercy to him. Kutcher and Kunis wrote about their long-standing history and friendship with the disgraced actor, whom they called “a role model” with “exceptional character.”
“The letters were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system or the validity of the jury’s ruling,” said Kunis in the Instagram apology.
“They were intended for the judge to read and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or re-traumatize them in any way,” Kutcher continued. “We would never wanna do that. And we’re sorry if that has taken place.”
“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,” Kutcher continued in his letter to the Thorn board. “And to the broader advocacy community, I am deeply sorry. I remain 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.”
