'I just don’t know': Ashton Kutcher breaks silence on Danny Masterson's scandal amidst The Ranch drama
Ashton Kutcher addresses his stance on Danny Masterson's firing from 'The Ranch' and the subsequent controversy. Kutcher and wife Mila Kunis write letters supporting Masterson, sparking backlash.
Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Danny Masterson (Source: Entertainment Weekly)
That '70s Show alumni, Ashton Kutcher, and Danny Masterson were once inseparable on screen, and that camaraderie extended off-screen as well. But everything took a sharp turn when Masterson found himself in the middle of a raging storm.
A Sudden Exit from "The Ranch"
In December 2017, as reported by Bharat times news, Netflix made a shock announcement: Danny Masterson would no longer be part of their hit show, The Ranch. "As a result of ongoing discussions, Netflix and the producers have written Danny Masterson out of The Ranch. [December 4, 2017] was his last day on the show, and production will resume in early 2018 without him," Netflix made clear.
Kutcher's Much-Anticipated Stand
Fast forward to January 2023, Ashton Kutcher finally broke his silence on the entire controversy in a candid chat with *Esquire*. "Ultimately, I can’t know. I’m not the judge. I’m not the jury. I’m not the DA. I’m not the victim. And I’m not the accused. And so, in that case, I don’t have a space to comment. I just don’t know,” Kutcher remarked, emphasizing his neutrality. But what did come out strongly was his hope for Masterson. He added, wishing that Masterson "be found innocent of the charges brought against him."
In the same interview, the Two and a Half Men star, revealed a soft corner for Masterson’s daughter, Fianna, expressing, "Someday, his kid is going to read about this.”
But here's the twist! Kutcher and his wife, Mila Kunis, the celebrated stars of *That '70s Show*, decided to write character reference letters for Masterson in 2023, post his conviction on two counts of rape. The act drew significant backlash, especially when Masterson was handed his sentence.
In a bid to clarify, Kutcher, in an Instagram video alongside Kunis, divulged that the letters were written upon the request of Masterson’s family. "A couple of months ago, Danny and his family reached out to us, and they asked us to write character letters to represent the person that we knew for 25 years,” Kutcher explained. Further emphasizing that the letters "were intended for the judge to read and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or re-traumatize them in any way,” he continued. “We would never want to do that, and we’re sorry if that has taken place.”
While the dust may not have fully settled, one thing's clear: in the glitzy world of Hollywood, friendships and controversies are two sides of the same coin.
(Several parts of the text in this article, including the title, were generated with the help of an AI tool.)