The Parts Of Mila Kunis & Ashton Kutcher's Non-Apology Statement That Show They Don't Respect The Victims
Using generalized platitudes distills their message into something virtually meaningless.
Tinseltown | Shutterstock, Mila Kunis/Ashton Kutcher |Instagram @aplusk Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis posted their perceived version of an apology for writing character letters for Danny Masterson, ahead of his sentencing trial for two convictions of “forced rape.”
Kutcher and Kunis are now under fire for the video statement they posted on Instagram, claiming to support victims despite advocating for lesser sentencing for Masterson.
Kutcher and Kunis go back and forth in their statement, which was as follows:
"We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson. We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future.
A couple months ago, Danny’s family reached out to us, and they asked us to write character letters to represent the person that we knew for 25 years, so that the judge could take that into full consideration relative to the sentencing.
The letters were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system or the validity of the jury’s ruling. They were intended for the judge to read and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or re-traumatize them in any way. We would never want to do that. And we’re sorry if that has taken place.
Our heart goes out to every single person who’s ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse, or rape."
But while Kutcher and Kunis framed their statement as an apology, what they said appeared to be hollow and not an actual apology at all.
Here's why Kunis and Kutcher’s 'apology' proves they don’t respect victims of rape and sexual assault.
1. Their response shows a lack of empathy.
Kutcher stated in the video he and Kunis posted to Instagram, “We are aware of the pain that’s been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson.” But Kutcher's statement is less of an apology and more of a basic acknowledgment that the letters exist.
He qualifies the letters as an entity unto themselves that caused people pain, not that his and Kunis’ actions caused pain. What he said comes off as a defensive response, one that declines to show any element of compassion for the women that Masterson harmed.
2. Their response shirks accountability for their own mistakes.
PR agent Molly McPherson noted in her own TikTok response to Kutcher and Kunis’ statement, “That apology video was not an apology.” “What we all witnessed was an explanation video. There was no acknowledgment whatsoever for what they did," she explained.
Near the end of their Instagram statement, Kunis exclaimed, that “the letters were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system or the validity of the jury’s ruling.” Kutcher added that the letters “were intended for the judge to read, and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or re-traumatize them in any way. We would never want to do that. And we’re sorry if that has taken place.”
While he noted that the intention of the character letters wasn’t meant as a way to cause harm, he denies the actual, lived effect that they did have.
A tweet from journalist Yashar Ali clearly captured the implications of their lack of accountability. Ali posted a response from one of the women that Masterson was convicted of raping, in which she told him, “This video was incredibly insulting and hurtful."
"My hope is that they learn radical accountability,” she continued.
In not accepting that they made a mistake in supporting Masterson, their apology statement rings false, coming off more like a statement claiming, “We’re sorry that we’re implicated. We’re sorry those letters are public information.”
3. Their response doesn’t acknowledge that they caused harm to victims too.
Kutcher and Kunis didn’t take accountability for how their actions caused a continuation of harm. “We support victims,” Kunis stated, putting forth a neutral, toothless claim. “We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future.”
One person noted in a response to Kutcher’s character letter that there’s one major part of the letter that people seem to be missing.
TikToker @aoifybeefy posted a video in which she read parts of Kutcher’s letter, where he wrote, “While I’m aware that the judgment has been cast as guilty on two counts of rape by force, and the victims have a great desire for justice, I hope that my testament to his character is taken into consideration in sentencing.”
In his letter, Kutcher stated, “I do not believe he is an ongoing harm to society,” which seems to translate into, “Masterson caused harm, but I don’t think he’d do it again.”
To end the non-apology statement, Kunis exclaimed, “Our heart goes out to every single person who’s ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse, or rape.” Yet she doesn’t acknowledge the specific case in which two women were victims of Masterson’s deplorable actions; she uses generalized platitudes, instead, which distill her message into something virtually meaningless.
The overarching takeaway from Kunis and Kutcher’s statement seems to be them offering an apology for the fact that they're involved in such a major public relations mess, not that they’re sorry for what they did — or didn’t — actually say, which is that they're sorry for defending a friend's repeated criminal behavior.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers celebrity gossip, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.