What’s done in the dark eventually comes to light.
Actor couple Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher are facing heavy criticism following their apology video for their support of That 70s Show actor and convicted rapist Danny Masterson. Why? Well, there’s no other way to put it: There was one teensy detail that viewers noticed that completely dismantled any sincerity the apology video was supposed to have.
47-year-old, Danny Masterson was given 30 years to life in prison on Thursday, September 7th for raping two women almost nearly 20 years ago. Kunis and Kutcher were among the 50 other people who wrote letters to the judge that expressed their support for Masterson prior to his sentencing.
Still, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo delivered the hefty sentence, but not before she verbally expressed her distaste toward Masterson by pointing out that he was “not the victim here.”
“Your actions 20 years ago took away another person’s voice, and choice. One way or another, you will have to come to terms with your prior actions, and their consequences,” Judge Olmedo lectured Masterson.
Emotional impact statements were also delivered in court from the two victims. One victim described Masterson as “pathetic, disturbed, and completely violent.” The other victim claimed that he “has not shown an ounce of remorse for the pain he has caused.”
Now in Kutcher and Kunis’ apology video that was posted to Twitter/X days after the sentencing, Kutcher mentions the letters they wrote by saying both he and Kunis were “aware of the pain that has been caused.”
“The letters were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system, or the validity of the jury’s ruling. They were intended for the judge to read and not undermine the testimony of the victims or re-traumatise them in any way.
We would never want to do that, and we’re sorry if that has taken place.”
Kunis adds her thoughts by saying: “We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future.
Our hearts go out to every single person who’s ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse, or rape.”
The couple’s apology video was filmed against a wooden fence. While this may appear normal at first, viewers couldn’t help but realize that the same background was used in scenes recorded for their part in a parody of Gal Gadot’s “Imagine” video for the hit Amazon series The Boys.
Apparently, there seems to be doubt with the sincerity of the actual apology. If “only the judge was supposed to read it,” then is the couple apologizing because their willingness to write fondly of Masterson was publicized?
Perhaps the background in their video is entirely too coincidental because it was used to recreate a parody of the lockdown video from the third season of The Boys that features “The Deep”, one of the main antagonist (and apparent rapist), from the show and a number of other celebrities singing ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon.
Gadot’s video faced a number of questionable remarks and backlashed when it was released with the purpose to “lift spirits” during the COVID-19 lockdown. In reality, the video came off as cringey and pretentious. The Boys writers decided to incorporate the infamous video into the show, thus creating a satirical approach to the first days following the COVID-19 lockdown.
Do you think using the same background was in poor taste or are people analyzing their apology too heavily?