Will Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis' Danny Masterson Clip Affect Their Careers?

Those closest to actor Danny Masterson, who was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison on September 7 for raping two women, may also be facing a career fallout, according to a crisis communications expert.

Fans were in an uproar after the news broke that Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis had written character letters supporting Masterson, their long-time friend and former That 70's Show co-star. The two actors shared an apology video on social media, but according to award-winning PR expert Molly McPherson, the clip may have done the couple's careers more harm than good.

In a video on TikTok, McPherson, who has more than two decades of experience with crisis communications, said that the "apology video was not an apology."

"What we all witnessed was an explanation video," she said. "There was no acknowledgment whatsoever for what they did. We did hear that they wanted to address the pain that everyone was in, but I don't know—maybe it's just me, but when I heard about these letters, I wasn't feeling pain."

"I was feeling like Ashton and Mila were destroying their careers all in an effort to protect a friend who was convicted," she said.

McPherson described the apology video as "defensive" and said she believes the two lack empathy, as they did not admit their mistake in supporting Masterson.

"No acknowledgment, vague apology," she said. "We heard Ashton say sorry, but it almost sounds like he's sorry that all of it happened to him and his buddy."

Since being shared on September 10, McPherson's commentary has received 1.4 million views and over 100,000 likes.

Newsweek reached out to Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Molly McPherson via email for comment.

Kutcher, 45, posted the apology video with his wife Kunis, 40, on Instagram following Masterson's sentencing. However, the video appears to have sparked further backlash online.

"We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson," Kutcher said in the short clip, while Kunis added that the pair "support victims."

"We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future," she said.

Kutcher explained that Masterson's family reached out a few months ago asking him to write the character letters, which he said represented "the man that we knew for 25 years." The letters were dated July 2023, after Masterson's May conviction, but before sentencing.

"The letters were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system or the validity of the jury's ruling," Kunis said.

"They were intended for the judge to read," Kutcher said. "Not to undermine the testimony of the victims or re-traumatize them in any way. We never want to do that, and we're sorry if that has taken place."

Concluding the video, Kunis said their "heart goes out to anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse or rape."

Four women filed sexual assault charges against Masterson in 2016, sparking an investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department. The attacks reportedly occurred in the early 2000s while Masterson was starring on That 70's Show with Kunis and Kutcher.

The actor denied the claims, but the allegations led to his removal from the Netflix sitcom The Ranch in December 2017, which also starred Kutcher and ended in 2020 after four seasons.

In June 2020, Masterson was charged with three rapes by force of fear. His first trial ended in a mistrial in 2021, but he was found guilty in May 2023 and held in custody until his sentencing last week.