No makeup, plain t-shirts, a basic wall, and a lavish pool just out of frame.
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, stars of “That 70’s Show”, now face numerous accusations of supporting their co-star Danny Masterston after he was convicted on two accounts of sexual assault. Masterson’s sentencing took place on Thursday, Sep. 7, a day after Kutcher and Kunis’ character references were leaked to the public.
Kutcher and Kunis were quick to take to Instagram and post a short, not-so-convincing apology video only two days after Masterson’s sentencing. To no one’s surprise, the public is left debating whether the video was genuine or not.
“They weren’t apologizing for writing the letters,” Founder of Gracie PR Beth Booker said to Today Magazine. “They were apologizing that they got caught.”
In the video, Kutcher and Kunis apologized for how their character references may have negatively affected the victims. However, the couple failed to express that they no longer supported Masterson or address what they had said in the letters. Kutchner and Kunis claim to “support victims,” but they can’t do that while simultaneously claiming the attacker is a role model.
“The couple’s apology video received intense backlash because they refused to acknowledge they submitted letters to the court asking for Danny Masterson’s sentence to be reduced,” public relations specialist Molly McPherson said in an email to Insider. “Rather, they wanted people to believe they only sent the letters at his family’s request.”
People were especially rattled by the letters considering Kutcher was the board chairman of “Thorn,” a foundation that he co-founded that develops new technology to aid the identification of sex trafficking victims. Similarly, Kunis, who also served on the board as an observer, is a known feminist who spoken out against sexual abuse in Hollywood.
Due to the storm of backlash, Kutcher and Kunis made the decision to resign from their positions at Thorn.
They weren’t apologizing for writing the letters. They were apologizing that they got caught. — Beth Booker
“I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve,” Kutcher said in his resignation letter to the board of Thorn.
Even after the more heartfelt apology in Kutcher’s resignation letter, the public is left wondering where the couple’s true morals fall. Celebrities often make it seem like they share their whole personal life to their fans, but in reality they only post what they want the public to see. While nobody is perfect, it is important for celebrities to do good by the general public, as they have millions of eyes watching them.
Kunis and Kutcher are not the first to find themselves in this situation. Many public figures have started to fear cancel culture as its prevalence continues to grow. It is now the expectation for celebrities to take to the internet when apologizing for previous actions, which is commendable to an extent, as readers are left unsure if said apology was genuine or just out of self-interest.
“You can’t see anything within their house,” Booker said. “You can’t see any signs of privilege. It’s meant to feel relatable. They prop their iPhone just like all of us to take videos.”
Damage control is almost instinctual for celebrities when they see hate start to roll in. Almost as if they had their PR team on speed dial, Kutcher and Kunis knew exactly what to do when the references got leaked. While it’s commendable they were quick to address the situation, the works of their PR team almost feel performative in itself.
