Ashton Kutcher has stepped down from the anti-child sex abuse organization he co-founded and is apologizing again for the ill-advised letter of support he wrote for his convicted rapist friend Danny Masterson. 

In a letter to the organization Thorn, Kutcher said the letters that he and wife Mila Kunis wrote were an ‘error in judgement’. 

‘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,’ he wrote. 

The stars were hit with a tidal wave of backlash after their letters calling Masterson an ‘honest’ man were made public. 

They did nothing to sway the judge. Masterson was jailed for 30 years. 

Kutcher was a vocal advocate for the organization, appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to attest to the horrors of child sex trafficking that he had been exposed to through his work with the charity. 

They met Masterson on That 70s Show. 

In an apology video posted on social media, the pair said they’d reflected on their support of Masterson and now realized it was ill-advised. 

Masterson, a Scientologist, long denied his victims’ allegations. 

All three of his accusers were former members of the church. 

He was found guilty of raping two women. 

Throughout the trial, he enjoyed the support of his wife – actress Bijou Phillips. 

Friends who spoke with People magazine this week say she has ‘no plans’ to divorce him. 

Kutcher’s resignation was welcomed by the board at the charity. 

‘For the past decade I have worked with Ashton on child protection issues. He has been a strong champion for children and worked tirelessly to protect them from sexual abuse. 

Through the creation of the DNA Foundation that later became Thorn, he helped build the organization into a major global resource for law enforcement, tech companies and others in the fight against child sexual exploitation. 

He made a difference,’ Thorn board member Ernie Allen said in an announcement on the organization’s website. 

Another said: ‘His unwavering dedication and commitment to Thorn throughout its journey have enabled the organization to become the leader that it is in the child safety ecosystem. 

‘It has been my privilege to join him on this mission.’ 

In letters to the court before his sentencing, Masterson’s victims described how he drugged then attacked them. 

‘I still don’t recall what I wore out the door, [defense attorney] Mr Cohen. But I do know one thing you didn’t ask me… I never could find my underwear. 

‘I know this because when I got home, I didn’t have any on. 

‘And I remember being upset and embarrassed about the idea that my underwear were somewhere at Danny’s house,’ one of the victims wrote. 

In his letter to the judge, Kutcher said Masterson had ‘always treated people with decency’. 

Kunis wrote: ‘I am writing this character letter on behalf of my dear friend, Danny Masterson, with whom I have had the privilege of sharing a significant part of my life.

‘My name is Mila Kunis, and I am an actress, and I believe it is essential to share the remarkable influence Danny has had on my life and the lives of others. 

‘Throughout our time together, Danny has proven to be an amazing friend, confidant, and, above all, an outstanding older brother figure to me. His caring nature and ability to offer guidance have been instrumental in my growth both personally and professionally. 

‘In conclusion, I wholeheartedly vouch for Danny Masterson’s exceptional character and the tremendous positive influence he has had on me and the people around him. His dedication to leading a drug-free life and the genuine care he extends to others makes him an outstanding role model and friend. 

‘Please feel free to reach out if you require any further information or clarification.’ 

A woman who Danny Masterson was convicted of raping has criticised Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis‘ ‘insulting and hurtful’ apology video.   

The couple responded to backlash on Saturday over letters written to the judge in the case of convicted rapist Danny Masterson, prompting even more wrath, including from Jane Doe #1 aka Jen B. 

Journalist Yashar Ali shared on X the woman’s reaction to the Hollywood couple’s clip. 

He wrote: ‘Jane Doe #1 aka Jen B, one of the women Danny Masterson was convicted of raping, just texted me her reaction to Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis’ video.’ 

The message from her said: ‘This video was incredibly insulting and hurtful. My hope is that they learn radical accountability and the importance of self-education to learn when to keep their privilege in check—especially Ashton, who claims to work with victims of sex crimes. And as to Mila, I can only think of “Times Up.”‘ 

Critics were quick to take to X, formerly known as Twitter, to unleash their dismay over the ‘lawyered’ apology. 

They posted the video after it was revealed that he and his wife had vouched for their former That 70s Show co-star and friend, 47. 

Ashton, 45, began the short video: ‘We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson. 

‘We support victims,’ Mila, 40, added. ‘We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future.’ 

Ashton continued: ‘A couple 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.’

Mila went on to say: ‘The letters were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system or the validity of the jury’s ruling.’

‘They were intended for the judge to read. And not to undermine the testimonies of the victims or re-traumatize them in any way. 

‘We would never want to do that. And we are sorry if that has taken place,’ Ashton emphasized.

‘Our heart goes out to every single person that has ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse or rape,’ Mila said to conclude their statement.

The comments on the post were disabled. 

Ali reposted the video, saying: ‘It’s important to note that the letters weren’t just character letters you’d write for a friend. The letters, which contained a great deal of Scientological phrasing, were intended to undermine the victims who were drugged by Danny.’

Masterson was handed a 30 years to life sentence earlier this week after a jury found him guilty of raping two women in the early 2000s.

Since the actors’ letters were released, fans have reacted with outrage online.

One former supporter wrote on a recent Instagram post of Kutcher’s, ‘I’m not a fan of cancel culture, but I make an exception for you two.’

Someone else added, ‘Hard f*****g pass on you two. How the mighty have fallen.’

The couple supported their former That 70s Show castmate by making individual submissions to the court, despite him already being convicted for raping two women.

In the letters obtained by DailyMail.com, both Kunis and Kutcher – who is credited as a co-founder and board chair of a non-profit purported to help fight child sex exploitation – spoke highly of Masterson, claiming he always ‘treated people with decency, equality, and generosity.’

In his letter to the judge, Kutcher wrote: ‘He’s an extraordinarily honest and intentional human being.

‘Over our 25-year relationship I don’t recall him ever lying to me. He’s taught me about being direct and confronting issues in life and relationships head-on, resolving them, and moving forward.’

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have responded to backlash over letters written to the judge in the case of convicted rapist Danny Masterson, prompting even more wrath from the public.

‘We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson,’ Ashton, 45, began in a short video shared on Instagram after it was revealed that he and his wife had vouched for their former That 70s Show co-star and friend, 47.

‘We support victims,’ Mila, 40, added. ‘We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future.’ The comments on the post were disabled.

Critics were quick to take to X, formerly known as Twitter, to unleash their dismay over the ‘lawyered’ apology. 

Journalist Yashar Ali wrote on the site, ‘It’s important to note that the letters weren’t just character letters you’d write for a friend. The letters, which contained a great deal of Scientological phrasing, were intended to undermine the victims who were drugged by Danny.’

Masterson was handed a 30 years to life sentence earlier this week after a jury found him guilty of raping two women in the early 2000s.

Ashton informed viewers in the clip, ‘A couple 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.’

Mila went on to say, ‘The letters were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system or the validity of the jury’s ruling.’

‘They were intended for the judge to read. And not to undermine the testimonies of the victims or re-traumatize them in any way. 

‘We would never want to do that. And we are sorry if that has taken place,’ Ashton emphasized.

‘Our heart goes out to every single person that has ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse or rape,’ Mila said to conclude their statement.

Since the actors’ letters were released, fans have reacted with outrage online.

One former supporter wrote on a recent Instagram post of Kutcher’s, ‘I’m not a fan of cancel culture, but I make an exception for you two.’

Someone else added, ‘Hard f*****g pass on you two. How the mighty have fallen.’

The couple supported their former That 70s Show castmate by making individual submissions to the court, despite him already being convicted for raping two women.

In the letters obtained by DailyMail.com, both Kunis and Kutcher – who is credited as a co-founder and board chair of a non-profit purported to help fight child sex exploitation – spoke highly of Masterson, claiming he always ‘treated people with decency, equality, and generosity.’

In his letter to the judge, Kutcher wrote: ‘He’s an extraordinarily honest and intentional human being.

‘Over our 25-year relationship I don’t recall him ever lying to me. He’s taught me about being direct and confronting issues in life and relationships head-on, resolving them, and moving forward.’

NOWHERE TO RUN

by Jonathan Sayer (Bantam £16.99, 256pp)

If you sometimes feel a little wearied by endless newspaper reports of barely-known football players picking up gazillions as they move from club to elite club, then this heart-warming, genuinely funny little book is just the thing to lift the spirits.

This is the beautiful game unseen by TV cameras, Gary Lineker or Sky Sports, down there in the seventh tier of English football.

This is the world of meat and potato pies and hot Bovril on chilly winter nights, rather than the roar of a private jet as it lands with a new player; it’s the world where your coveted striker turns up on crutches; or where you’re running out of match balls because one furious neighbour who supports a rival football team refuses to return them when they’re kicked into her back yard.

Welcome to Ashton United, one of our oldest clubs, founded in 1878. This is the world of semi-pro, non-League football, a world of losing and occasionally winning, but it’s also the world of mud and nettles beloved by vast numbers of football fans all over the country.

Jonathan Sayer is an actor and award-winning comedy playwright, and one of the team behind the hilarious series of long-running shows such as The Play That Goes Wrong. So he knows how to tell a joke.

His family has had a long connection with Ashton: his grandfather played more than 400 games for the club, more than anyone else, and his father holds the record for most bookings and sendings off in a season, including thumping one half-back who asked mid-match if he could date Sayer’s mother.

He fell in love with the game at the age of eight, and eventually decided to buy the club with his father. Nowhere To Run is an account of their first year in charge.

Money, of course, is always a problem. A gate of a few hundred is a result, and season ticket sales are peaking at 32. Harry Kane might be on £400,000 a week at his new club Bayern Munich; for Sayer’s Ashton, one hyped new recruit starts by demanding Premier League wages, but settles for £125 a week and a £5 goal bonus.

The record club signing is £2,000 for ‘Bruno’ Billings from bitter local rivals Curzon Ashton.

Sayer and his father have to plough in large amounts of their own money, including for salaries, a batch of new home and away kits, and, due to an ordering cock-up, more than 600 pairs of socks. At one nearby club, where the chairman was a butcher, players were often paid in meat.

He also has to get the supporters onside. Forget about football he is told, take up a hobby like birdwatching or pottery. A rumour goes round that he wants to drop John Smith’s beer from the taps in the club bar. A rebel group of furious octogenarian supporters launch a militant campaign ‘Save Our Smiths’. But how to get the fans in?

Record attendance was back in 1880, and Ashton is in an area of Greater Manchester that has more non-League football clubs per square kilometre than GP surgeries, fire stations and mega supermarkets combined.

It’s also just a few miles from one of the world’s wealthiest and most successful clubs, Manchester City. But, on the bright side, as Sayer points out, the highlights of the area include an Asda, a Texaco garage and a banging tandoori.

He starts to pull in favours to generate sponsorship and pitchside advertising, including one from old performing friends, Las Vegas magicians Penn & Teller, despite them performing more than 5,000 miles away from Ashton-under-Lyne.

Like all semi-pro clubs, Ashton is dependent on countless volunteers working themselves to the bone for their club, and fuelling non-League clubs up and down the country. Here is Dale, a lorry driver who chain smokes roll-ups, who is also the club secretary, groundskeeper, deputy kitman, reserve team manager and assistant spongeman (whatever that is: Sayer still doesn’t know). His wife, Sue, runs the tea hut and his son, Simon, organises traffic control on match day.

The ground can only be watered with a garden hose run from the bar, which doesn’t stretch past the halfway line, so after a dry summer, one half of the pitch is a lush green, the other is burnt brown and dry. But when it’s frozen in winter they have to melt the ice using hairdryers. Though not the Alex Ferguson kind.

Still, it is all about the players, and the one thing the owners can’t control: what happens on the pitch.

For one game, in Chester, the team convinced a credulous young newcomer that he couldn’t get into Wales without a passport, so he should hide in the car boot to cross the border. But when they get there they can’t open the boot and he has to spend the match locked inside a Nissan Micra.

Meanwhile, Sayer’s club briefly hit world headlines with a tweet saying they were trying to sign Norwegian super-striker Erling Haaland. The tweet was eventually seen by 40 million people — but Haaland didn’t come. He went to Manchester City instead!

This being a true account of a year in charge, there is no helpful Hollywood story arc: Ashton don’t make it into an FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool, for example. Nor do they gain promotion.

Some they win, some they lose. But as Sayer says, non-League football is good for the soul. It is full of remarkable people doing remarkable things for the love of the game.

And for Sayer, he has found a sense of belonging that is hard to come by. And who wouldn’t raise a glass of John Smith’s to that?

JAMES ASHTON: Can we cash in on microchips? UK is right to focus on its strengths such as design and materials, but it must afford the industry time

• Microchips have taken over the world 
• In 2021, supposedly riven with shortages, more than 1tn chips were installed 
• The most advanced chips are required to power artificial intelligence 

By James Ashton For The Daily Mail

Updated: 07:39 EDT, 29 May 2023

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