Image Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock
Ashton Kutcher, 45, and his wife, Mila Kunis, 40, have officially stepped down from Thorn, an anti-child-sex-abuse organization that the 45-year-old co-founded in 2009 with ex-wife Demi Moore. Their decision to step down from the organization comes nearly one week after they publicly apologized for writing letters on behalf of Danny Masterson amid his sexual assault trial. The A-list couple noted in a letter released to Time on Sept. 15, that they came to the decision after a period of “reflection.”
“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,” Ashton wrote in a letter to the board on Sept. 14. “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.”
He also added that he does not want his “error in judgment” to “distract” from the organization’s “efforts and the children” they they serve. Mila, for her part, resigned as an observer on Thorn’s board. “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,” Ashton added in the statement. “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.”
Their decision to step down comes one week after their former That 70s Show co-star was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison after he was convicted of two counts of forcible rape in May 2023. In the character statement that Mila wrote, she called Danny an an “older brother figure” and vouched for him. “His caring nature and ability to offer guidance have been instrumental in my growth both personally and professionally,” the mom-of-two wrote. “I wholeheartedly vouch for Danny Masterson’s exceptional character and the tremendous positive influence he has had on me and the people around him.”
Shortly after the letters were released, Mila and her husband took to Instagram to share an apology video for writing the statements on behalf of Danny. “We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson,” Ashton said in the now-viral clip. “We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future,” the Ted star added. She concluded the clip by adding: “Our heart goes out to every single person who’s ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse or rape.”
