On Thursday, Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years in prison, after being convicted of two counts of forcible rape in May. The That ’70s Show actor reportedly did not speak at the sentencing, though his three accusers did.
And, as with Tory Lanez’s recent sentencing, the judge in Masterson’s case allowed for letters of support. Several That ’70s Show cast members, including Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, wrote letters, which were posted to Substack by journalist Tony Ortega, who has been covering Scientology for decades and broke the news that three women had allegations against Masterson in 2017.
Ortega didn’t post all 50 letters, and notes that these friends and family members “were probably aware that Judge Olmedo could really only choose between 15 to life and 30 to life. They knew they were not trying to convince her to let Danny walk out of prison.”
A letter from Kutcher remarks on what a great “role model” Masterson is; the two also starred on Netflix‘s The Ranch together, before Masterson was fired in 2017.
Kutcher writes that while he is “aware that the judgement 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.” Kutcher was called out online as a hypocrite; he’s championed his anti-child sex trafficking foundation but supports a convicted rapist.
Kunis wrote that “I wholeheartedly vouch for Danny Masterson’s exceptional character and the tremendous positive influence he has had on me and the people around him.” People were reminded of her response to the Chris Rock-Will Smith slap, in comparison.
That ’70s Show cast members Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith also wrote letters of support, as did Giovanni Ribisi and William Baldwin. Many of the letters emphasize that Masterson is the father of a daughter.
