Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis issued public apologies for the letters of support that they sent on behalf of Danny Masterson to the judge presiding over his sexual assault trial ahead of his sentencing last Thursday.
The 45-year-old actor and the 40-year-old actress, who have been married since 2015, starred alongside Masterson, 47, in the hit sitcom “That 70s Show” from 1998 to 2006.
On Saturday, the pair appeared in a joint video that was shared on Kutcher’s Instagram page.
“We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson,” Kutcher said while seated next to his wife.
DANNY MASTERSON SUPPORTED BY ASHTON KUTCHER, MILA KUNIS IN LETTERS TO JUDGE FOR RAPE CASE
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis issued a public apology after writing letters of support to judge on behalf of Danny Masterson, who was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison after being convicted of rape. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
“We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future,” Kunis added.
“A couple of months ago, Danny’s family reached out to us and they asked us to write character letters to represent the person that we knew for 25 years so that the judge could take that into full consideration relative to the sentencing,” Kutcher said.
“The letters were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system, or the validity of the jury’s ruling,” Kunis said.
“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 added. “We would never want to do that, and we’re sorry if that has taken place.”
“Our heart goes out to every single person who’s ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse or rape,” Kunis said at the conclusion of the video.
In addition to Kunis and Kutcher, almost 50 other individuals wrote letters on behalf of Masterson to Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo, including Masterson’s wife Bijou Phillps and fellow “That 70s Show” co-stars Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith.
The three actors starred together in the hit sitcom “That 70s Show” from 1998 to 2006. (SGranitz/WireImage via Getty Images)
In an excerpt from Kutcher’s letter, which was obtained by Fox News Digital, he described Masterson as a “role model.”
“Danny takes his job seriously. He is kind, courteous, and hard working(sic),” Kutcher wrote. “He treated everyone from the grips to the teamsters to the actors to the caterers as equals. As a role model, Danny has consistently been an excellent one.”
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In an excerpt from her letter, Kunis noted that Masterson became an “outstanding older brother figure” to her during their friendship.
Kunis wrote that she would “wholeheartedly vouch for Danny Masterson’s exceptional character and the tremendous positive influence he has had on me and the people around him.”
After the sentencing, Masterson’s legal team told reporters that the actor plans to appeal the court’s decision. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life after being convicted on two counts of forcible rape. He is being held at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Men’s Central Jail as he awaits his transfer to a California state prison.
The department confirmed to Fox News Digital on Friday that the actor is being checked on every 30 minutes.
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After the sentencing, Masterson’s legal team told reporters that the actor plans to appeal the court’s decision.
Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz and Tracy Wright contributed to this report.
