As Danny Masterson was sentenced 30 years on the charges of rape, his That ’70s Show cast members have written letter defending him.
Fans of That ’70s Show remember the series as a fun-filled, heartwarming adventure as they followed a group of tight knit friends go through love, financial woes, growing up, and more in the 1970s.
The show, starring Topher Grace as the lead character of Eric Foreman, helped launch the career of many Hollywood stars like Wilmer Valderrama, Laura Prepon, Mila Kunis, and Ashton Kutcher.
However, one of the cast — Danny Masterson — has been sentenced to a lengthy sentence on the counts of rape and his fellow cast members have written letter defended him as a person, shocking many of their lifelong fans.
That ’70s show fans shocked at cast members actions
Masterson was recently sentenced to “30 years to life in prison in a retrial for raping two of the three victims he was originally charged with assaulting.” The assaults reportedly occurred between 2001 and 2003, while he was still starring on That ’70s Show.
According to Decider, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, who starred opposite Masterson on That ’70s Show, were amongst 50 people who wrote letters to the judge defending Masteron’s character and revering him as a person.
Kutcher called Masterson a “role model,” while Kunis vouched for his “exceptional character.” Kutcher’s full letter expressed that Masteron “instantly” became a “dedicated co worker, and role model to me [on That ’70s Show” and attributed “not falling into the typical Hollywood life of drugs directly to Danny.”
Kunis, on the otherhand, explained that she could “wholeheartedly vouch” for Masterson’s “exceptional character and the tremendous positive influence he has had on me and the people around him” and considered him to be “an exceptional older brother figure” to her.
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Kutcher and Kunis weren’t the other ’70s Show cast members to vouch for Masterson as Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith, who played Kitty and Red Foreman, also submitted letters to the judge.
Rupp explained that it was “so hard” for her to wrap her head around the two counts of rape Masterson faced, as she always though of him to be “respectful and kind, while Smith wrote that Masterson “treated all women on the show with respect, not only the women in the cast, but women on the crew as well.”
’70s Show fans were exceptionally shocked at the cast’s candor, especially in the Kutcher who co-founded a charity that fights against sex trafficking, child marriage, and more. Below are some the fans’ reactions:
ashton kutcher co-founding a campaign to end child trafficking but writing letters of support for his serial rapist bestie is such a great encapsulation of the way people love to fight against their imaginary idea of what abuse is but not what it actually is https://t.co/fsqcIjEjLY
— matt (@mattxiv) September 8, 2023
Ashton Kutcher has a whole company dedicated to sex trafficking, but is asking for leniency for his rapist bestie. Everybody’s an ally until it’s someone they know committing the crime.
— Mo (@exilehive) September 8, 2023
The dude is a rapist and Ashton Kutcher is out here trying to convince people he’s a good guy. Men need to stop backing up their homies doing fucked up shit. Makes me wonder what you’re also doing if you think that’s okay. https://t.co/R92F7ZhtzK
— Damon Fizzy␌ (@deefizzy) September 9, 2023
Despites Masteron’s cast members’ pleas, he will still be sentenced to 30 years for his crime of rape, though his lawyers say they will appeal the decision.
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