Ashton Kutcher Crawls Back Onto Social Media Following His Controversial Support For Convicted Rapist Danny Masterson

Ashton Kutcher recently shared his first post on social media since he and his wife, actress Mila Kunis, faced backlash for supporting Danny Masterson during his rape trial earlier this year.

The That ’70s Show star shared a photo on Instagram to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah. “We see miracles happen when we make miracles happen for others #happyhanukkah,” he wrote in the caption, with a photo of a menorah.

This is the first we’ve heard from the star since he and Kunis were criticized for writing letters to the judge on behalf of Masterson ahead of his rape trial. In his letter to the judge, Kutcher called Masterson a “role model” and “dedicated co worker,” and wrote that he hoped his “testament to his character is taken into consideration in sentencing.”

Kunis similarly praised Masterson’s character and said he was a “tremendous positive influence” on her.

Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison after he was found guilty on two counts of forcible rape.

The actors knew each other from their days starring together on the hit sitcom That ’70s Show and have remained friends in the decades since. Masterson later starred in Kutcher’s Netflix series The Ranch, though he exited the show after his rape accusations came to light in 2017.

The news of Kutcher and Kunis’ support led to an immediate backlash, prompting both actors to apologize. Kutcher also swiftly resigned from the anti-sex abuse organization he co-founded.

In their public apology, the couple maintained that they still “support victims.”

“[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,” he said. “We would never want to do that. And we’re sorry if that has taken place.”

But this is not the first time Kutcher has shown support for Masterson since he was accused of raping four women. In February of this year, just months before Masterson would be convicted, Kutcher said in an interview, “I don’t want him to elude the law, but I wish for the truth to show he’s innocent.”

Masterson will not be eligible for parole until he is 77 years old.

If you or someone you know needs to reach out about sexual abuse or assault, RAINN is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673), or online at RAINN.org.