Ashton Kutcher Steps Down as Chairman of Anti-Child Abuse Organization Following Controversial Letter on Behalf of Danny Masterson

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Ashton Kutcher has relinquished his role as chairman of the board for an organization focused on combatting child sexual abuse, which he co-founded. This decision follows the public revelation of letters penned by Kutcher and his wife Mila Kunis, advocating for leniency for their former “That ’70s Show” colleague, Danny Masterson, who has been convicted of rape.

Kutcher announced his withdrawal from Thorn, an institution he originally established with his ex-wife Demi Moore in 2009, this past Thursday, according to a statement from the organization.

“In the wake of extensive listening sessions, personal introspection, learning from survivors as well as discussions with Thorn’s staff and leadership, I have concluded that the most responsible course of action for me is to step down as Chairman of the Board, effective immediately,” Kutcher stated in a letter to the board members of the organization. “My lapse in judgment should not divert focus from the essential work of Thorn and the vulnerable children it seeks to protect.”

Danny Masterson was sentenced by a Los Angeles judge to a prison term ranging from 30 years to life on September 7. Masterson was found guilty in May for raping two women in the year 2003, during the period he was part of the cast of the Fox series “That ’70s Show,” alongside Kutcher and Kunis.

Subsequent to the sentencing, letters from Kutcher, Kunis, and others addressed to the presiding judge were disclosed to the public. In his letter, Kutcher described Masterson as an individual who had, in his own experience, conducted himself “with decency, equality, and generosity.”

Both Kutcher and Kunis issued an apology the day after the letters became public, through a video on Instagram. Kutcher clarified that the letters “were written for the judge’s eyes alone and were not meant in any way to invalidate the victims’ experiences or cause them additional trauma.”

Kutcher’s resignation letter, initially reported by Time magazine, included a sincere apology “to all victims of sexual violence and to everyone at Thorn whom I have negatively affected by my actions.”

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More about Ashton Kutcher Resignation

• Ashton Kutcher Steps Down from Thorn
• Danny Masterson Sentenced to Prison
• Time Magazine’s Report on Kutcher’s Resignation
• Instagram Apology Video from Kutcher and Kunis
• About Thorn Organization
• That ’70s Show Background