Actor Ashton Kutcher has resigned from Thorn, a charity he had set up to tackle child abuse, amid public outrage over a support letter he and his wife, Mila Kunis, wrote in favor of Danny Masterson, who was convicted of rape.
What Happened: Kutcher’s departure from Thorn, which he had co-founded with his ex-wife Demi Moore in 2012, has sent shockwaves through the industry.
The controversy stems from a letter of support both Kutcher and Kunis sent to a judge after Masterson’s rape conviction, reported BBC.
Masterson, known for his role in “That ’70s Show,” was sentenced to 30 years of life in prison for the rape of two women.
Kutcher and Kunis, who also starred in the popular sitcom alongside Masterson, expressed their support for their former colleague in the letter, describing him as someone who treated people with “decency” and “generosity.”
The move drew widespread condemnation from victims’ advocacy groups and survivors of sexual abuse, who criticized the couple for seemingly prioritizing their relationship with Masterson over the wellbeing of the victims.
Kutcher promptly issued a resignation letter to the Thorn board in response to the backlash.
In the letter, he stated, “After my wife and I spent several days of listening, personal reflection, learning, and conversations with survivors and the employees and leadership at Thorn, I have determined the responsible thing for me to do is resign as chairman of the board, effective immediately.”
“I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve,” Kutcher added.
Why It’s Important: Thorn’s mission primarily revolves around combating the sexual exploitation of children, with a particular focus on addressing the role of the internet in facilitating the spread of child sexual abuse material.
According to the group, it has identified 27,000 child victims and removed over two million potentially exploitative files from the internet, the report noted.
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