Actors Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher asked for leniency for their former That ‘70s Show co-star Danny Masterson in letters to a judge, who sentenced him Thursday to 30 years to life in prison after he was convicted of raping multiple women in the Church of Scientology two decades ago, with Kutcher calling Masterson a “role model,” multiple outlets reported Friday.
Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, and Danny Masterson at the premiere of "Traffic" in 2000.
In a letter sent to Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo, Kutcher reportedly called Masterson a “friend, dedicated co-worker and role model,” saying they have remained friends since they first met in 1998.
Kutcher also called Masterson an “extremely honest and intentional human being,” adding he did not “ever recall him lying to me.”
Kunis wrote in a letter to Olmedo that Masterson has an “innate goodness and genuine nature,” calling him an “amazing friend, confidant, and, above all, an outstanding older brother figure to me.”
Olmedo sentenced Masterson to a 30-year to life prison sentence Thursday, making the That ‘70s Show star eligible for parole after more than 25 years. The charges against Masterson each carried sentences of 15 years to life in prison.
Masterson, 47, made his big break playing Steven Hyde on That ‘70s Show in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and has landed starring roles in the short-lived sitcom Men at Work and The Ranch. He was convicted on two counts of forcible rape in June, following a months-long trial over allegations he sexually assaulted three women he knew through the Church of Scientology. A third count was dismissed after a judge declared a mistrial in November. Masterson had been arrested in 2020 on rape charges, after a lengthy investigation into allegations from multiple women.
‘That ‘70s Show’ Star Danny Masterson Sentenced To 30 Years To Life For Rape (Forbes)