Following backlash round his determination to defend convicted rapist Danny Masterson‘s character, Ashton Kutcher has formally stepped down because the Board Chair of Thorn — a corporation he co-founded dedicated to combating youngster intercourse trafficking.
RELATED: Ashton Kutcher & Mila Kunis Apologize After Receiving Backlash For Their Character Letters Supporting Danny Masterson (VIDEO)
Ashton Kutcher Offers A “Heartfelt Apology” While Resigning
According to a press release shared by Thorn on Friday (Sept. 15), Kutcher resigned by way of a letter to the group’s board of administrators on Thursday (Sept. 14). The group acknowledged that the event is “rooted in the recognition of recent events.”
“This decision is rooted in the recognition of recent events and ensuring Thorn remains focused on its mission: to build technology to defend children from sexual abuse.”
In his resignation, Ashton declared that the choice adopted “several days of listening, personal reflection, learning, and conversations with survivors.”
Calling his step-down “the responsible thing to do,” he described his determination to pen the letter as an “error in judgment.”
“I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve.”
More particularly, he shared that writing a personality assertion for Danny Masterson serves as “another painful instance of questioning victims.”
“As you know, I have worked for 15 years to fight for people who are sexually exploited. Victims of sexual abuse have been historically silenced and the character statement I submitted is yet another painful instance of questioning victims who are brave enough to share their experiences. This is precisely what we have all worked to reverse over the last decade.”
Before noting that he “remain[s] proud” of his accomplishments with Thorn, he reiterated that he was providing a “heartfelt apology.”
“I want to offer my heartfelt apology to all victims of sexual violence and everyone at Thorn who I hurt by what I did.”
The Development Follows Ashton & Mila’s Support Letters For Danny Masterson
As The Shade Room reported, Ashton Kutcher and his spouse, Mila Kunis, landed themselves in scorching water after character letters they’d made on behalf of Danny Masterson had been made public. Meghann Cuniff shared full copies of the letters by way of Legal Affairs and Trials with Meghann Cuniff.
In Ashton’s letter, he stated Danny “set an extraordinary standard around how you treat other people.” He additionally acknowledged, “Over [our] 20 year relationship I don’t ever recall him lying to me.”
As for Mila, she known as Danny Masterson an “exceptional older brother figure” earlier than declaring, “I wholeheartedly vouch for Danny Masterson’s exceptional character.”
It’s additionally value noting that Niesha Trout, “one of the victims who [Masterson] was convicted on,” acknowledged that the couple’s letters got here “after they read all of the gruesome sworn-under-oath testimony of 5 of Danny’s victims.”
Once the pair started to catch some extreme backlash, they addressed the state of affairs in a video. While apologizing, Kutcher and Kunis acknowledged that they “support victims.”
“We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future.”
RELATED: Danny Masterson—Star Of ‘That ’70’s Show’—Sentenced To 30 Years To Life In Prison Over Rape Convictions
