Danny Masterson was retried for rape earlier this year and was ultimately found guilty of raping two women. As a result, Masterson was later sentenced to 30 years in prison. In the aftermath of the verdict, it was revealed that several of the That ‘70s Show alum’s colleagues wrote character letters on Masterson’s behalf. Among them were married couple Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, who faced significant backlash for their actions. The two have mostly remained silent over the past few months but, in honor of Thanksgiving, Kutcher shared a message, in which he discussed what he’s “thankful for” this holiday season. And his sentiments seemed to correlate with the flak he took for his letter.
It was on X (formerly known as Twitter) that Ashton Kutcher shared his holiday-oriented comments. The 45-year-old father of two named life, health and friendship as a few of the elements in his life that he’s most grateful to have. Kutcher also went on to say that he’s thankful for two particular words that are part of the English language as well as a few other concepts. And one can’t help but get the feeling that he’s alluding to the situation that went down with his longtime co-star:
Happy Thanksgiving. In addition to life, love, health, & friendship This year let’s acknowledge being present. Being present isn’t responding and reacting to every inbound stimulus. It’s experiencing, then having the wherewithal to not react. Digest, feel, learn, take inventory, & square this new experience with past experiences. Create a refined perspective to live with until something else refines it further. That’s being present. I’m Thankful for ‘No comment’, thankful for learning, thankful for listening. Thankful for sharing this life with you.
While Danny Masterson is not mentioned anywhere in the message, the sentiments shared near the end could be applied to the situation involving the character letters. The Your Place or Mine actor seemed to indicate through his post that he’s thankful for having the ability to speak out and listen to others when it’s warranted.
It was reported in early September that Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis (and co-stars Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith) had written letters that were submitted to the judge presiding over the rape retrial in the lead-up to the verdict. When writing about his former co-star, Kutcher reportedly said he was a “role model” when they worked together, while Kunis referred to his “exceptional character.” When Kunis and Kutcher later broke their silence on the matter, they apologized and explained that Danny Masterson’s family reached out and asked them to pen the messages. While the pair aimed to write about the Masterson they knew years ago, they said they were aware of the “pain” their letters had caused and stressed that they support victims.
The two continued to receive backlash following the apology video, which at least one PR expert found to be ineffective. As a result of the situation, the Guess Who star also resigned from his post as the chairman of Thorn. The aim of the organization’s leads is to combat human trafficking and prevent the exploitation of children.
All the while, Danny Masterson remains in police custody and, since his sentencing, he’s worked out arrangements with his estranged wife, Bijou Phillips. After Masterson was sentenced, Phillips filed to divorce him after nearly 12 years of marriage, citing “irreconcilable differences.” The Men at Work actor also agreed to give Phillips full custody of their 9-year-old daughter, Fianna.
It seems that Ashton Kutcher, for his part, is now looking to move past the drama surrounding his former on-screen partner. Time will tell how Kutcher – as well as Mila Kunis – navigate their lives from a professional perspective as time goes on. But at present, it sounds like Kutcher is just thankful for what he currently has in his life.