Current:Home > NewsAshton Kutcher Resigns as Chairman of Anti-Child Sex Abuse Organization After Danny Masterson Letter -AssetScope
Ashton Kutcher Resigns as Chairman of Anti-Child Sex Abuse Organization After Danny Masterson Letter
View
Date:2025-04-16 01:23:41
Ashton Kutcher stepping away from an anti-child sex abuse organization he co-founded.
Amid public backlash over letters he and wife Mila Kunis wrote in support of their That '70s Show costar Danny Masterson ahead of his rape case sentencing, the Punk'd alum has resigned from his post as chairman of Thorn's board on Sept. 15.
"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," Kutcher wrote in his letter of resignation, which was published in full by Time. "I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve."
He further acknowledged that his letter in support of his longtime friend—who was ultimately sentenced to 30 years to life in prison—undermined the organization's efforts.
"As you know, I have worked for 15 years to fight for people who are sexually exploited," the No Strings Attached star continued. "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. This is precisely what we have all worked to reverse over the last decade."
Offering a "heartfelt apology to all victims of sexual violence and everyone at Thorn who I hurt by what I did," as well as the "broader advocacy community," Kutcher added, "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."
Kutcher and then-wife Demi Moore launched Thorn in 2012 after learning about "the issue of child sex trafficking from a documentary highlighting what was happening to children in Cambodia," according to the organization's website. As part of his role as co-founder, he testified at a 2017 hearing with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to examine the United States' progress in ending modern slavery and human trafficking.
The 45-year-old's resignation from Thorn comes a week after letters he and Kunis, 40, penned to a judge presiding over Masterson's sentencing were made public. In documents obtained by E! News, Kutcher described Masterson—who was convicted on two counts of rape in May but has denied any wrongdoing—as an "excellent" role model who had been "nothing but a positive influence on me."
"He has always treated people with decency, equality, and generosity," he wrote, before urging the judge to take Masterson's 9-year-old daughter Fianna Francis with wife Bijou Phillips into consideration in his sentencing. "I do not believe he is an ongoing harm to society and having his daughter raised without a present father would a tertiary injustice in and of itself."
In the face of criticism over their support for Masterson, Kutcher and Kunis released a video message on Sept. 9 to apologize for "the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson."
"They were intended for the judge to read and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or retraumatize them in any way," Kutcher said of the letters. "We would never want to do that, and we're sorry if that has taken place."
For free, confidential help, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit rainn.org.veryGood! (9988)
Related
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Curiosity rover makes an accidental discovery on Mars. What the rare find could mean
- Hunter Biden drops lawsuit against Fox News over explicit images featured in streaming series
- Curiosity rover makes an accidental discovery on Mars. What the rare find could mean
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- Tour de France Stage 21: Tadej Pogačar wins third Tour de France title
- 3 rescued after homeowner's grandson intentionally set fire to Georgia house, officials say
- Pilot living her dream killed in crash after skydivers jump from plane near Niagara Falls
- Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
- Ice cream trucks are music to our ears. But are they melting away?
Ranking
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- Baltimore man arrested in deadly shooting of 12-year-old girl
- CrowdStrike says more machines fixed as customers, regulators await details on what caused meltdown
- LeBron James selected as Team USA male flagbearer for Paris Olympics opening ceremony
- The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
- Emily in Paris Season 4 Trailer Teases Emily Moving On From The Gabriel-Alfie Love Triangle
- Travis Kelce’s Training Camp Look Is a Nod to Early Days of Taylor Swift Romance
- Biden’s withdrawal injects uncertainty into wars, trade disputes and other foreign policy challenges
Recommendation
This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
Wrexham’s Ollie Palmer Reveals What Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney Are Really Like as Bosses
Video tutorial: How to react to iMessages using emojis
Former U.S. Rep. Henry Nowak, who championed western New York infrastructure, dies at 89
The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
Miss Kansas Alexis Smith, domestic abuse survivor, shares story behind viral video
Trump, JD Vance, Republican lawmakers react to Biden's decision to drop out of presidential race
Esta TerBlanche, who played Gillian Andrassy on 'All My Children,' dies at 51