I wish my first reaction to seeing the video was more thoughtful but all I could see was how ... like... annoyed them seemed that they even had to do this. It felt like they were exasperated. And when Mila moved to turn off the camera, even if I could hear it, I could imagine her huffing her way out. I just don't understand how they got approved by any crisis management/communications expert. You are ACTORS. You can do ANOTHER TAKE.
I think she's mad at the entire situation, or more specifically, being held culpable for her actions. I assume once you get to a certain level of celebrity that's something you have less and less experience with. Thus this completely ill-advised video that makes it abundantly clear these two have never and will never feel bad for anything they ever do.
I literally don't think there was any play here for Ashton and Mila. I can understand it being difficult to reconcile these things with someone they consider a close friend, but like... You don't know, unless you were there. So unless you have something to confess yourself, probably best to stay out of it. I honestly wonder how long before publicists and crisis counselors start telling clients NOT to submit these kinds of letters.
On another note, i lived in LA in the 2000s, Ashton and Wilmer V RAN the young Hollywood scene. Danny was always there, just kept a lower profile. At that time, I chalked it up to him not being as popular. Now? How much of letting Ashton and Wilmer absorb the spotlight provided his cover? Lions like tall grass for a reason.
I always wondered why he didn't pan out to be a bigger deal. Do you think his "gee shucks" nature worked for a specific character but didn't translate into leading man energy? I used to think of him as a better-looking Tobey Maguire so I was surprised that over the long run Tobey won out (career-wise, not life-wise)
Maybe a little bit got pigeon holes as Eric, but I also think he has interests behind the camera and I wouldn't count him out yet for a renaissance. Especially since this outcome for Masterson recasts those rumors about Grace being "rude" and "difficult" as "oh, he just didn't want to hang out with that asshole".
Yeah- I’ve been watching some old interviews and “behind the scenes” with the producers of the show and in one from years ago they called out that Topher and Danny didn’t get along so Topher was outside the main “gang.”
It definitely provides another perspective on that- maybe he is a team player, he just didn’t like that particular team…
Tobey was married to Jen Meyer whose father Ron Mayer ran Universal Studios. So I bet that is how Tobey got connected; or at least it didn’t hurt. I’m also biased against Tobey because he runs with Leo, ugh
Did not know that was how she became famous...suddenly the jewelry line makes much more sense. Thanks for the backstory and fully agreed on all counts.
I have experience as a sexual assault survivor and as an immediate family member of a person convicted for a similar crime, so I feel I have decent perspective on both sides here. And still, I think they are gross for writing the letters. You just can’t say you believe and support victims when the only tangible action you’re taking is to support the perpetrator. It’s not as though their letter spoke to Masterson’s attempts to repent or rehabilitate himself. I think I could accept it if they wanted to acknowledge he had committed some horrific acts, but then talk about how he went on to get intense therapy or do anything that might be considered restitution - anything to indicate they were showing support for a person who is interested in and working hard to seek redemption. But to say he was always a nice guy to you, or a good family man, or a hard worker…like, none of those things preclude a person from being a rapist. So…who cares? Being a good person in some areas of your life counts for shit all if you’re drugging and raping multiple women in your spare time.
I appreciate your take! When I read the letters my hot take about his character was so what. They were not convincing or articulate really. It seemed mostly built around using their “positive” image and power as means of expressing his goodness. Nothing in the letters expressed him acknowledging the crimes he is convicted of or doing the work, any work.
“We contain multitudes” and “You can’t have your cake and eat it too”
In writing their character statement, Ashton and Mila appear to have separated their friend from their friend’s actions. Who knows how/if they’re reconciling those things, but as the post brings up, rapists can show up for other people in their lives (e.g. be a “good” dad, husband, etc)
But also, don’t expect the public to look at you fondly for that choice and alignment. The video didn’t come off genuine and Ashton/Mila would have been better off with a written statement. They were clearly reading from a statement that someone was holding above the camera. You’re actors... do better.
Separately, Ashton has historically behaved poorly in the past, so if the internet is going to dig up those things now... pass the popcorn
Honestly, Ashton has always been trash and, frankly, a misogynist. How many more examples do we need? Forcing his tongue into Mila’s mouth (gross anyway but SHE WAS A CHILD), belittling January Jones, pressuring Demi for threesomes. It’s infuriating that he’s never had to wear any of it, but it’s the exact same dynamic as is happening for Danny Masterson (wealthy white people closing ranks to protect their own).
Also, can we just have a petty moment of glee that this f*cking idiot wrote “i:i” in his letter??? I guess he is an actor, investor, philanthropist, and father but not capable of spell check???
Didn't he recently say "OMG because of ME TOO I won't be alone with a woman"? That's a misogynist mentality, I don't care how much he talks about human trafficking.
I can understand the impulse to submit a letter at sentencing for a close friend. The US legal system is adversarial. Especially in sentencing, the court asks for evidence of the defendant's character. Pre-sentencing investigation (PSI) reports, character statements, prior and subsequent criminal activity is all considered. The judge wants to see a full picture of someone before they sentence someone. If there are any good things to be said about someone, this is the time to say them.
That being said, these are two high-profile people. They get advice from a whole PR team. There is no way that someone didn't at least mention how this is a public proceeding and their support will become news. They aren't submitting nuanced support of a friend, they are giving unequivocal support for someone they believe is innocent (especially with that line about being anti-drug). I agree with Maria - it was their right to support their friend. They exercised that right. They knew (or at least should have known) that there would be backlash. This was a high-profile case, it wasn't like they didn't know what their friend was convicted of doing. They gave the letters with the intention of his sentencing being more lenient. Just own it. They aren't sorry they supported a rapist. It's apology theater, and it is gross.
On the topic of it being inevitable news, you can hear the irritation when A says “we wrote these letters for the JUDGE to read” as if they were like “god mom why did you read my diary!!!!” When this is not that.
I've also been Group 1 for a long time. Doesn't surprise me they wrote the letters.
And of course they are so arrogant they didn't ask anyone's advice before they sent them to the court.
Rapists and their ilk - as others pointed out before me - often hide themselves from their friends and family. But to write the letters AFTER the verdict in this case. Oof. Wow. No self-awareness. No empathy for other people.
(Many) politicians only seem to care about women when they can equate them with their "mothers, wives, and daughters."
So the logic here is that (many) celebrities only equate injustice when its other celebrities.
Here's my wondering -- Has this f*ck up already become short-hand for worse case backlash for PR teams in LA? I mean other celebrities have backed their friends over victims and survivors, but this is pretty epic.
P.S. I'm with Jacek, I'm making popcorn now.
P.P.S. Don't whine that you thought the letters wouldn't become public??!! If you are smart enough to maintain your kids' privacy, you are smart enough to know your names could get leaked.
Ashton also runs an anti-trafficking charity. So believe victims - unless his friends victimize them? He and Mila are trash for supporting a serial rapist.
Princess Eugenie also runs an anti-slavery charity.
Many anti-trafficking advocates have called him out for making their work harder. He quotes false stats and propagates the image of child trafficking as a "drug-fueled brown people problem". His "activism" in this space seems to stem from the same place as that Sound of Freedom movie, which paints anti-trafficking work as an opportunity for white people to play superheros with real people's lives. Despite being called out for years over this, he, and now Mila by extension, has never changed his tune.
Ashton and Mila included something about Danny's drug free life in their support letters of leniency for him. So the "drug-fueled brown people" as perpetrators of sexual assault certainly tracks for them.
Just a note but the You’re Wrong About podcast just did a great re release of an old Ep talking about human trafficking myths and the sound of freedom movie - reccomend!
When I saw that YWA did an episode on Sound of Freedom, I swear I got a hit of serotonin. Their past episodes about human trafficking/wayfair conspiracies/etc are SO good.
Speaking as a lawyer who has a number of defense attorney friends...character letters are an important part of the legal system. A serious reckoning with criminal justice reform means grappling with the fact that perpetrators come in shades of gray, with sentences handled accordingly.
BUT THAT SAID. A *DEFINING* feature of the Masterson case is that he was SO protected by SO many people in power for so long. That his victims were subject to so much abuse and intimidation after the fact. As another commenter has observed, it's not like these letters hinted at any real change or reconciliation. And it's hard to read those letters without getting the distinct sense that A and M simply don't accept the verdict, i.e., the fact that their friend is a rapist.
I was asked to write a character statement for a mentor who eventually pled guilty to something horrific. I couldn't do it because of the personal sense of betrayal. But I did read what others wrote, and the fact is that you can tell when someone is struggling to come to terms with who their friend or loved one is. These letters are simply not that. And yes, it's their right to submit them, and frankly it's important that people submit character letters. But at the end of the day, they said what they said, and now they have to eat it.
It is disappointing. It is not particularly surprising. But they will be fine, and the machine grinds on.
I agree with all of this. I'm also a lawyer, and I've read letters people submit when someone goes up on parole. At their best, they talk about how the person has accepted responsibility and changed their life. But at the just-before-sentencing phase, it's a different story. Defendants do better when they express contrition. If Kutcher and Kunis insisted on writing a letter for him, it should've been one that said he would use his time in prison to confront his crimes and change his life for the sake of his daughter. But the subtext of the letter was that the jury got it wrong.
I can understand having a hard time believing allegations against someone I thought I knew well and had known for decades. I cannot, ever, in a million years, understand advocating for them after they'd been convicted!
they worded this video so carefully to say sorry to sexual assault victims without apologizing directly to Danny's victims, acknowledging his guilt, or acknowledging that the women even ARE victims. and "only the judge was supposed to see these" is just code for "I didn't think the public would find out." basically they're just making it super clear they don't believe Danny is guilty, still.
they would have been better off just not saying anything further. I'm not a huge fan of either so it'll be easy to avoid them, personally.
So I would say that I fall somewhere between groups 1 and 2. I don't know that I go so far as to think they will never recover from this (guys like Ashton do seem to have that TeflonDon coating) but I also feel like it's pretty consistent with a pattern we have seen from Kutcher for years.
The reality is that abusers frequently are actual psychopaths and become very adept at making sure you only see the parts of them they want you to see but being capable of a type of cruelty you can't fathom with their victims. The Xenu of it all definitely ups this dynamic a notch in the Masterson case.
Like Maria said in her article - they had a right to write the letters but then I think they should have just kept their mouths shut and dealt with the fact that the general public didn't agree with their assessment. Just own it or don't write the letter in the first place. They have both been in this business a looooong time. If they didn't see this getting out, and the inevitable backlash coming then they were being willfully oblivious.
I have never really liked either one of these two - although I liked their show, at the time. I'm a sexual assault survivor and I will never condone anyone trying to reduce sentences for a convicted rapist. Sexual assault crimes should have LONGER sentences - not shorter. Mila and Ashton are just gross - and if this ends up hurting their careers - I, for one, will not lose any sleep over it. I would love to ask them if they would let their daughter be alone with him years from now, if he were to be released. If they say yes - then they are stupider than I thought.
I am group 1, but I haven’t like their hot takes on any given subject for years. And I’ve NEVER liked AK. So the letters didn’t surprise me. And their follow up explanation (it was not an apology) didn’t surprise me either.
Their performance could not have been more different. He seems conversational, and she looks like she was reading a script (they both were). Her face alone gave me pause. I am no PR expert, but I am an expert at my face giving my thoughts/feelings away every damn day. So the FIRST thing I am conditioned to do is to fix my face. I wish someone had coached her.
One more thing…while I don’t believe he was involved in the murder in 2001, I can absolutely believe he probably saw the body and made calls in self-protection mode.
the rumor I saw was that he made calls to cover his ass and pretend he didn't know, rather than report it himself. which makes more sense than him being involved.
Group 1. As a survivor, what they did for their rapist-friend is reprehensible. I can't imagine trying to advocate for myself against voices as strong and powerful as theirs.
I’m still trying to figure out WHEN they sent the letters.. Before or after sentencing??! If its after, they lost me and everyone as a fan forever. Thats also not an apology. The motivation behind writing a character letter is literally to sway a judge.. nothing else🤮 #boycott.
After conviction, pre sentencing. The letters are considered by the judge when determining the length of the sentence. So obviously, "but he was cool to us" wasn't good enough for this judge.
Yeah so like they sat there and listened to all the testimony (or maybe didn’t) which was obviously HORRIBLE for him to get this long of a sentence, and they STILL decided to write the letter and seemingly didn’t expect people to be mad? Like bruh. Come on.
Ashton has always clearly been an asshole. Not surprised they wrote the letters, but stunned that they didn't see the reaction coming. Do these people not have PR experts and publicists? Anyone could've seen this a mile away. The letters were going to be made public. Like Lainey says, amateur hour in handling the whole situation.
I already felt like Ashton was a slimy climber, I thought Mila maybe was slightly better (at least smarter) but I am so turned off by this apology. As others have said, they should have just owned that they wrote the letters and said nothing. It proves their egos, to me, that Ashton helms an organization to prevent sex trafficking and help victims, and then turns around and writes this. Also also, they should know by now that these letters ALWAYS get leaked. Clearly defending their bro was more important than their work that’s fine, but own it. Accountability, y’all.
Unfortunately this all lead me down a conspiracy rabbit hole last night inhibiting my sleep and requiring extra coffee today. Maria did address some of the rest of the online discussion but yeah. Also lots of talk about Mila and Ashton meeting when she was so young (14!!) Which lead to more rabbit holes about laineys obsession (atj and stj and their age gap...) so much to unpack so little time
Ever since he fashioned himself as a prescient tech-bro, I lost any small amount of affection I had for him being basically a slightly smarter version of lovable doofus Kelso. He's horrible and smug. I had higher hopes for her. Are they CO$? I would hope she's smarter than that. I can't imagine how hard it is to accept that a good friend did horrible things. It's awful, full stop. But they could have declined to get involved. They had a right to submit the letters, but they also had a right NOT to. So boo-hoo, their good friend, who's going to prison basically for life, doesn't talk to them anymore as a result? Better that than this outcome that they're so shocked about.
I am group 1. It’s particularly gross that they spend a lot of energy doing charitable work to show that they are ‘for the people’ while this situation just unveiled the fact that they are in fact completely blinded by their bubble of privilege. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
I'm baffled as to how they actually thought that this sorry excuse of a non apology would actually move the needle on the mess that they have gotten themselves into. Pretty certain that their PR reps didn't give this a sign off. They both look annoyed and disingenuous and Mila in particular looks like she really doesn't GAF! I worked with Ashton on behalf of a client many moons ago and can tell you firsthand that he is a grade A prick. He was rude and dismissive, late to the commercial shoot multiple days, wouldn't come out of his trailer and he hit on just about every female under 25 on the set. My client ended that shoot saying "never again". And one last thing -- why do they look like they just rolled out of a tent? Are they thinking that they might connect better with the "mini van majority" (love that phrase Lainey -- I use it in many of my client meetings) if they look like Ashley Rae and Willy D from Iowa?
Watch it 1st time with no image and 2nd time with no sound and Mila should’ve not done it. She make it worst. She look and sound frustrated! Ashton is more aloof and more resigned. They shouldn’t have pleaded for their friend and I don’t understand there motivation except protecting a friend that doesn’t deserve their “love” but nothing will surprise me anymore. Side note i think that was the most interesting in the “cheers” season 2 on Netflix how everyone dealt with Jerry’s trial for child “abused”. Strangely enough girls/women were the one having a harder time to believe those accusations. Just like now
Beyond the yuck of it all, it struck me that she was way more natural than he was when delivering the statement which again is odd since they could've taped it again.
I wish my first reaction to seeing the video was more thoughtful but all I could see was how ... like... annoyed them seemed that they even had to do this. It felt like they were exasperated. And when Mila moved to turn off the camera, even if I could hear it, I could imagine her huffing her way out. I just don't understand how they got approved by any crisis management/communications expert. You are ACTORS. You can do ANOTHER TAKE.
That's exactly the sentiment she puts off annoyed and exasperated. They should have acted better.
the rapid blinking when Ashton is talking is the thing that keeps catching my eye.
I think she's mad at the entire situation, or more specifically, being held culpable for her actions. I assume once you get to a certain level of celebrity that's something you have less and less experience with. Thus this completely ill-advised video that makes it abundantly clear these two have never and will never feel bad for anything they ever do.
I literally don't think there was any play here for Ashton and Mila. I can understand it being difficult to reconcile these things with someone they consider a close friend, but like... You don't know, unless you were there. So unless you have something to confess yourself, probably best to stay out of it. I honestly wonder how long before publicists and crisis counselors start telling clients NOT to submit these kinds of letters.
On another note, i lived in LA in the 2000s, Ashton and Wilmer V RAN the young Hollywood scene. Danny was always there, just kept a lower profile. At that time, I chalked it up to him not being as popular. Now? How much of letting Ashton and Wilmer absorb the spotlight provided his cover? Lions like tall grass for a reason.
Also, props to Topher Grace for eating his fucking food and bothering no one. Topher is literally the only 70s Show alum worth a damn these days.
I always wondered why he didn't pan out to be a bigger deal. Do you think his "gee shucks" nature worked for a specific character but didn't translate into leading man energy? I used to think of him as a better-looking Tobey Maguire so I was surprised that over the long run Tobey won out (career-wise, not life-wise)
Maybe a little bit got pigeon holes as Eric, but I also think he has interests behind the camera and I wouldn't count him out yet for a renaissance. Especially since this outcome for Masterson recasts those rumors about Grace being "rude" and "difficult" as "oh, he just didn't want to hang out with that asshole".
Yeah- I’ve been watching some old interviews and “behind the scenes” with the producers of the show and in one from years ago they called out that Topher and Danny didn’t get along so Topher was outside the main “gang.”
It definitely provides another perspective on that- maybe he is a team player, he just didn’t like that particular team…
Tobey was married to Jen Meyer whose father Ron Mayer ran Universal Studios. So I bet that is how Tobey got connected; or at least it didn’t hurt. I’m also biased against Tobey because he runs with Leo, ugh
Did not know that was how she became famous...suddenly the jewelry line makes much more sense. Thanks for the backstory and fully agreed on all counts.
This woman is a PR expert. Her take is amazing!!!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxDR3iPLd5I/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
OMG this lady is amazing.
Right?!!!!!
Love her! Just discovered her yesterday thanks to the Danny Masterson letters fall out.
What's her handle?
@molly.mcpherson on IG and @mollybmcpherson on Tik Tok
I have experience as a sexual assault survivor and as an immediate family member of a person convicted for a similar crime, so I feel I have decent perspective on both sides here. And still, I think they are gross for writing the letters. You just can’t say you believe and support victims when the only tangible action you’re taking is to support the perpetrator. It’s not as though their letter spoke to Masterson’s attempts to repent or rehabilitate himself. I think I could accept it if they wanted to acknowledge he had committed some horrific acts, but then talk about how he went on to get intense therapy or do anything that might be considered restitution - anything to indicate they were showing support for a person who is interested in and working hard to seek redemption. But to say he was always a nice guy to you, or a good family man, or a hard worker…like, none of those things preclude a person from being a rapist. So…who cares? Being a good person in some areas of your life counts for shit all if you’re drugging and raping multiple women in your spare time.
I appreciate your take! When I read the letters my hot take about his character was so what. They were not convincing or articulate really. It seemed mostly built around using their “positive” image and power as means of expressing his goodness. Nothing in the letters expressed him acknowledging the crimes he is convicted of or doing the work, any work.
Two quotes come to mind:
“We contain multitudes” and “You can’t have your cake and eat it too”
In writing their character statement, Ashton and Mila appear to have separated their friend from their friend’s actions. Who knows how/if they’re reconciling those things, but as the post brings up, rapists can show up for other people in their lives (e.g. be a “good” dad, husband, etc)
But also, don’t expect the public to look at you fondly for that choice and alignment. The video didn’t come off genuine and Ashton/Mila would have been better off with a written statement. They were clearly reading from a statement that someone was holding above the camera. You’re actors... do better.
Separately, Ashton has historically behaved poorly in the past, so if the internet is going to dig up those things now... pass the popcorn
I was surprised by how poorly they read the statement. you're actors! memorize it!
and yeah, even the BTK Killer was a pretty good dad and loved his dog.
Right? Mila is WOODEN here.
Group 1. Although, I wrote him off years ago. I’ve side-eyed Mila every since they got together.
Honestly, Ashton has always been trash and, frankly, a misogynist. How many more examples do we need? Forcing his tongue into Mila’s mouth (gross anyway but SHE WAS A CHILD), belittling January Jones, pressuring Demi for threesomes. It’s infuriating that he’s never had to wear any of it, but it’s the exact same dynamic as is happening for Danny Masterson (wealthy white people closing ranks to protect their own).
Also, can we just have a petty moment of glee that this f*cking idiot wrote “i:i” in his letter??? I guess he is an actor, investor, philanthropist, and father but not capable of spell check???
Didn't he recently say "OMG because of ME TOO I won't be alone with a woman"? That's a misogynist mentality, I don't care how much he talks about human trafficking.
I can understand the impulse to submit a letter at sentencing for a close friend. The US legal system is adversarial. Especially in sentencing, the court asks for evidence of the defendant's character. Pre-sentencing investigation (PSI) reports, character statements, prior and subsequent criminal activity is all considered. The judge wants to see a full picture of someone before they sentence someone. If there are any good things to be said about someone, this is the time to say them.
That being said, these are two high-profile people. They get advice from a whole PR team. There is no way that someone didn't at least mention how this is a public proceeding and their support will become news. They aren't submitting nuanced support of a friend, they are giving unequivocal support for someone they believe is innocent (especially with that line about being anti-drug). I agree with Maria - it was their right to support their friend. They exercised that right. They knew (or at least should have known) that there would be backlash. This was a high-profile case, it wasn't like they didn't know what their friend was convicted of doing. They gave the letters with the intention of his sentencing being more lenient. Just own it. They aren't sorry they supported a rapist. It's apology theater, and it is gross.
On the topic of it being inevitable news, you can hear the irritation when A says “we wrote these letters for the JUDGE to read” as if they were like “god mom why did you read my diary!!!!” When this is not that.
Group 1. I hate how he treated Demi and Mila seems to be one of those people that if it doesn’t directly affect her she doesn’t care.
I've also been Group 1 for a long time. Doesn't surprise me they wrote the letters.
And of course they are so arrogant they didn't ask anyone's advice before they sent them to the court.
Rapists and their ilk - as others pointed out before me - often hide themselves from their friends and family. But to write the letters AFTER the verdict in this case. Oof. Wow. No self-awareness. No empathy for other people.
(Many) politicians only seem to care about women when they can equate them with their "mothers, wives, and daughters."
So the logic here is that (many) celebrities only equate injustice when its other celebrities.
Here's my wondering -- Has this f*ck up already become short-hand for worse case backlash for PR teams in LA? I mean other celebrities have backed their friends over victims and survivors, but this is pretty epic.
P.S. I'm with Jacek, I'm making popcorn now.
P.P.S. Don't whine that you thought the letters wouldn't become public??!! If you are smart enough to maintain your kids' privacy, you are smart enough to know your names could get leaked.
Ashton also runs an anti-trafficking charity. So believe victims - unless his friends victimize them? He and Mila are trash for supporting a serial rapist.
Princess Eugenie also runs an anti-slavery charity.
The irony is lost on these people?
Many anti-trafficking advocates have called him out for making their work harder. He quotes false stats and propagates the image of child trafficking as a "drug-fueled brown people problem". His "activism" in this space seems to stem from the same place as that Sound of Freedom movie, which paints anti-trafficking work as an opportunity for white people to play superheros with real people's lives. Despite being called out for years over this, he, and now Mila by extension, has never changed his tune.
Ashton and Mila included something about Danny's drug free life in their support letters of leniency for him. So the "drug-fueled brown people" as perpetrators of sexual assault certainly tracks for them.
Just a note but the You’re Wrong About podcast just did a great re release of an old Ep talking about human trafficking myths and the sound of freedom movie - reccomend!
When I saw that YWA did an episode on Sound of Freedom, I swear I got a hit of serotonin. Their past episodes about human trafficking/wayfair conspiracies/etc are SO good.
*recommend
Request for a follow-up post on the Scientology of it all! Seems simultaneously fascinating and dark and scary.
Speaking as a lawyer who has a number of defense attorney friends...character letters are an important part of the legal system. A serious reckoning with criminal justice reform means grappling with the fact that perpetrators come in shades of gray, with sentences handled accordingly.
BUT THAT SAID. A *DEFINING* feature of the Masterson case is that he was SO protected by SO many people in power for so long. That his victims were subject to so much abuse and intimidation after the fact. As another commenter has observed, it's not like these letters hinted at any real change or reconciliation. And it's hard to read those letters without getting the distinct sense that A and M simply don't accept the verdict, i.e., the fact that their friend is a rapist.
I was asked to write a character statement for a mentor who eventually pled guilty to something horrific. I couldn't do it because of the personal sense of betrayal. But I did read what others wrote, and the fact is that you can tell when someone is struggling to come to terms with who their friend or loved one is. These letters are simply not that. And yes, it's their right to submit them, and frankly it's important that people submit character letters. But at the end of the day, they said what they said, and now they have to eat it.
It is disappointing. It is not particularly surprising. But they will be fine, and the machine grinds on.
I guess the takeaway is that this guy had full cover for years, and now these two got caught providing more cover from the top. It’s gross.
I agree with all of this. I'm also a lawyer, and I've read letters people submit when someone goes up on parole. At their best, they talk about how the person has accepted responsibility and changed their life. But at the just-before-sentencing phase, it's a different story. Defendants do better when they express contrition. If Kutcher and Kunis insisted on writing a letter for him, it should've been one that said he would use his time in prison to confront his crimes and change his life for the sake of his daughter. But the subtext of the letter was that the jury got it wrong.
Group 1. After having read Demi Moores autobiography I'm pretty convinced that Ashton Kutcher is just a tool
I can understand having a hard time believing allegations against someone I thought I knew well and had known for decades. I cannot, ever, in a million years, understand advocating for them after they'd been convicted!
they worded this video so carefully to say sorry to sexual assault victims without apologizing directly to Danny's victims, acknowledging his guilt, or acknowledging that the women even ARE victims. and "only the judge was supposed to see these" is just code for "I didn't think the public would find out." basically they're just making it super clear they don't believe Danny is guilty, still.
they would have been better off just not saying anything further. I'm not a huge fan of either so it'll be easy to avoid them, personally.
So I would say that I fall somewhere between groups 1 and 2. I don't know that I go so far as to think they will never recover from this (guys like Ashton do seem to have that TeflonDon coating) but I also feel like it's pretty consistent with a pattern we have seen from Kutcher for years.
The reality is that abusers frequently are actual psychopaths and become very adept at making sure you only see the parts of them they want you to see but being capable of a type of cruelty you can't fathom with their victims. The Xenu of it all definitely ups this dynamic a notch in the Masterson case.
Like Maria said in her article - they had a right to write the letters but then I think they should have just kept their mouths shut and dealt with the fact that the general public didn't agree with their assessment. Just own it or don't write the letter in the first place. They have both been in this business a looooong time. If they didn't see this getting out, and the inevitable backlash coming then they were being willfully oblivious.
I have never really liked either one of these two - although I liked their show, at the time. I'm a sexual assault survivor and I will never condone anyone trying to reduce sentences for a convicted rapist. Sexual assault crimes should have LONGER sentences - not shorter. Mila and Ashton are just gross - and if this ends up hurting their careers - I, for one, will not lose any sleep over it. I would love to ask them if they would let their daughter be alone with him years from now, if he were to be released. If they say yes - then they are stupider than I thought.
I am group 1, but I haven’t like their hot takes on any given subject for years. And I’ve NEVER liked AK. So the letters didn’t surprise me. And their follow up explanation (it was not an apology) didn’t surprise me either.
Their performance could not have been more different. He seems conversational, and she looks like she was reading a script (they both were). Her face alone gave me pause. I am no PR expert, but I am an expert at my face giving my thoughts/feelings away every damn day. So the FIRST thing I am conditioned to do is to fix my face. I wish someone had coached her.
One more thing…while I don’t believe he was involved in the murder in 2001, I can absolutely believe he probably saw the body and made calls in self-protection mode.
the rumor I saw was that he made calls to cover his ass and pretend he didn't know, rather than report it himself. which makes more sense than him being involved.
Wait, WHAT???? How did I miss this?
Group 1. As a survivor, what they did for their rapist-friend is reprehensible. I can't imagine trying to advocate for myself against voices as strong and powerful as theirs.
I’m still trying to figure out WHEN they sent the letters.. Before or after sentencing??! If its after, they lost me and everyone as a fan forever. Thats also not an apology. The motivation behind writing a character letter is literally to sway a judge.. nothing else🤮 #boycott.
After conviction, pre sentencing. The letters are considered by the judge when determining the length of the sentence. So obviously, "but he was cool to us" wasn't good enough for this judge.
Yeah so like they sat there and listened to all the testimony (or maybe didn’t) which was obviously HORRIBLE for him to get this long of a sentence, and they STILL decided to write the letter and seemingly didn’t expect people to be mad? Like bruh. Come on.
Ashton has always clearly been an asshole. Not surprised they wrote the letters, but stunned that they didn't see the reaction coming. Do these people not have PR experts and publicists? Anyone could've seen this a mile away. The letters were going to be made public. Like Lainey says, amateur hour in handling the whole situation.
I already felt like Ashton was a slimy climber, I thought Mila maybe was slightly better (at least smarter) but I am so turned off by this apology. As others have said, they should have just owned that they wrote the letters and said nothing. It proves their egos, to me, that Ashton helms an organization to prevent sex trafficking and help victims, and then turns around and writes this. Also also, they should know by now that these letters ALWAYS get leaked. Clearly defending their bro was more important than their work that’s fine, but own it. Accountability, y’all.
Unfortunately this all lead me down a conspiracy rabbit hole last night inhibiting my sleep and requiring extra coffee today. Maria did address some of the rest of the online discussion but yeah. Also lots of talk about Mila and Ashton meeting when she was so young (14!!) Which lead to more rabbit holes about laineys obsession (atj and stj and their age gap...) so much to unpack so little time
Ever since he fashioned himself as a prescient tech-bro, I lost any small amount of affection I had for him being basically a slightly smarter version of lovable doofus Kelso. He's horrible and smug. I had higher hopes for her. Are they CO$? I would hope she's smarter than that. I can't imagine how hard it is to accept that a good friend did horrible things. It's awful, full stop. But they could have declined to get involved. They had a right to submit the letters, but they also had a right NOT to. So boo-hoo, their good friend, who's going to prison basically for life, doesn't talk to them anymore as a result? Better that than this outcome that they're so shocked about.
Exactly!
I am group 1. It’s particularly gross that they spend a lot of energy doing charitable work to show that they are ‘for the people’ while this situation just unveiled the fact that they are in fact completely blinded by their bubble of privilege. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
I'm baffled as to how they actually thought that this sorry excuse of a non apology would actually move the needle on the mess that they have gotten themselves into. Pretty certain that their PR reps didn't give this a sign off. They both look annoyed and disingenuous and Mila in particular looks like she really doesn't GAF! I worked with Ashton on behalf of a client many moons ago and can tell you firsthand that he is a grade A prick. He was rude and dismissive, late to the commercial shoot multiple days, wouldn't come out of his trailer and he hit on just about every female under 25 on the set. My client ended that shoot saying "never again". And one last thing -- why do they look like they just rolled out of a tent? Are they thinking that they might connect better with the "mini van majority" (love that phrase Lainey -- I use it in many of my client meetings) if they look like Ashley Rae and Willy D from Iowa?
I wonder if some of the businesses/shareholders that they are invested in have pressured them to put this out so fast, because yeah, seems so amateur.
It gets grosser every day
https://pagesix.com/2023/09/13/danny-masterson-got-that-70s-show-cast-to-sing-for-scientology/
I guess we have learned that he’s a better actor, and they are both ignorant. Surprise!
Please, this couple is clueless. Let’s not waste any more energy in their direction:)
Watch it 1st time with no image and 2nd time with no sound and Mila should’ve not done it. She make it worst. She look and sound frustrated! Ashton is more aloof and more resigned. They shouldn’t have pleaded for their friend and I don’t understand there motivation except protecting a friend that doesn’t deserve their “love” but nothing will surprise me anymore. Side note i think that was the most interesting in the “cheers” season 2 on Netflix how everyone dealt with Jerry’s trial for child “abused”. Strangely enough girls/women were the one having a harder time to believe those accusations. Just like now
Beyond the yuck of it all, it struck me that she was way more natural than he was when delivering the statement which again is odd since they could've taped it again.