News: Ashton Kutcher Resigns As Board Chair of Anti-Child Sexual Abuse Organization He Co-Founded
In a letter, Kutcher admits the letter he wrote for convicted rapist and Scientologist Danny Masterson was an "error in judgment." He doesn't apologize to the women Masterson raped, however.
Ashton Kutcher, the actor and investor, has resigned as board chairman of Thorn, the anti-child sexual abuse organization he co-founded with his then-wife Demi Moore. The news comes just over a week after the world learned that Kutcher and his wife and former “That 70’s Show” co-star Mila Kunis wrote character letters to the judge before sentencing their longtime friend and former colleague, the convicted rapist and celebrity Scientologist Danny Masterson.
The backlash to the letters was significant, and their attempt to clean up the problem by posting a video only made things worse.
Time Magazine obtained the letter that Kutcher wrote to the board of Thorn in which he tendered his resignation effective immediately. In the letter, Kutcher admitted that writing a character letter for Masterson was an “error in judgment.”
In the letter, Kutcher apologizes to “all victims of sexual violence and everyone at Thorn who I hurt by what I did.” He apologizes to “the broader advocacy community,” adding that he is “deeply sorry.”
Kutcher, however, did not apologize to the survivors of Danny Masterson’s predation.
What made the character letters particularly hurtful and infuriating to the survivors who spoke to me and their supporters was that both Kutcher and Kunis went on to portray Masterson as some anti-drug champion.
This attempted to undermine a vital portion of the women’s testimony: Masterson drugged his victims before raping them.
Here is the excerpt of Kutcher’s letter to the board of Thorn:
"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. The mission must always be the priority and I want to offer my heartfelt apology to all victims of sexual violence and everyone at Thorn who I hurt by what I did. And to the broader advocacy community, I am deeply sorry. I remain proud of what we have accomplished in the past decade and will continue to support Thorn’s work. Thank you for your tireless advocacy and dedication to this cause."
Please follow me on Twitter (X), Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and TikTok.
If you have a tip about Scientology, David Miscavige, or any other person or topic, you can contact me at 310-795-2497 or yasharmail@proton.me. I am available on Signal, WhatsApp, and Confide. My direct messages are also open on Twitter and Instagram.
Your anonymity will always be protected.
Half done with no apologies to dm's victims.
McKenzie Phillips attended part of the trial and sat with Danny’s family, supposedly in support of Danny. Then she stopped coming. She did not write a letter. Neither of Danny’s wife’s half sisters wrote letters. Actions speak louder than all those flowery words. The only show I ever saw with Ashton was 2 1/2 Men. Never saw Mila in anything. That won’t change. If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas.