Actor and philanthropist Ashton Kutcher resigned from his anti-child sex abuse nonprofit on Thursday amid criticism for support letters that he and his wife Mila Kunis wrote for their former “That ‘70s Show” co-star Danny Masterson ahead of his sentencing for rape.
Mr. Kutcher acknowledged the need for Thorn to stay unwaveringly focused on its mission of developing technology to protect children from sexual abuse.
Mr. Masterson was convicted in May on two counts of rape and was subsequently sentenced to 30 years to life in prison. His conviction and the letters of support from Mr. Kutcher and Ms. Kunis drew widespread attention and raised concerns.
Actress Ms. Kunis, who also served as an observer on the Thorn board, has also reportedly stepped down from her position.
Mr. Kutcher co-founded Thorn more than a decade ago with his ex-wife, actress Demi Moore. He has been a pivotal figure in the organization’s efforts to end the sexual exploitation of children and combat human sex trafficking.
The controversy surrounding Mr. Kutcher and Ms. Kunis arose from their decision to join nearly 50 other individuals in offering character references and advocating for leniency for Mr. Masterson. This move generated criticism and concern, particularly from those who believed it could undermine the testimony of the victims and cause further trauma.
In the video, Mr. Kutcher said that their intention with the letters was “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.” They were “intended for the judge to read” in consideration of sentencing.
Ms. Kunis noted in the video that the couple “support[s] victims, we have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future.”
Mr. Kutcher’s resignation was conveyed through a heartfelt letter addressed to the Thorn Board, dated Sept. 14. In the letter, he expressed his deep commitment to the cause of defending victims of sexual abuse and cited recent events as the catalyst for his decision.
He emphasized the importance of placing the mission above all else and apologized to all victims of sexual violence, Thorn’s staff, and the broader advocacy community for any harm caused.
“The mission must always be the priority, and I want to offer my heartfelt apology to all victims of sexual violence and everyone at Thorn who I hurt by what I did,” Mr. Kutcher wrote. “And to the broader advocacy community, I am deeply sorry. I remain proud of what we have accomplished in the past decade and will continue to support Thorn’s work.”
Thorn, which has been at the forefront of child safety initiatives, is dedicated to proactively developing technology to protect children from sexual abuse. Over the years, the organization has made significant strides, including the removal of over 2 million potential child sexual abuse files from the open web.
Thorn’s tools have been instrumental in the identification of more than 27,000 children in need of assistance, according to the organization. The organization has also contributed to empowering parents and youth with prevention tools, shaping protective policies for children, and conducting research to enhance understanding and prevention of child sexual abuse.
Ernie Allen, a board member at Thorn, praised Mr. Kutcher’s commitment to child protection.
“He has been a strong champion for children and worked tirelessly to protect them from sexual abuse,” Mr. Allen said in a statement. “He made a difference.”
“While the last few days have challenged us all in new ways, we remain steadfast in our mission, mindful of the trust our community places in us, and confident in our collective dedication to the children we serve,” Thorn stated.
