Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have carefully crafted public images over their careers as outspoken advocates for human rights and ending gender violence. Kutcher has testified before Congress on fighting sex trafficking and launched numerous initiatives on the issue.
So when the celebrity power couple penned letters urging leniency for their friend Danny Masterson amidst his rape conviction, they provoked outrage for defending a violent abuser despite their humanitarian branding. Beyond spotlighting potential hypocrisy, their perceived betrayal illuminates complex social factors allowing rape culture to persist.
Recapping Danny Masterson’s Crimes and Scientology’s Role
Before analyzing Kutcher and Kunis’ role in the saga, examining the charges against That 70’s Show star Danny Masterson and the involvement of the Church of Scientology is warranted.
Masterson was convicted on three counts of forcibly raping women at his home from 2001-2003. His victims, all Scientologists at the time, said after they reported being raped, the Church threatened them to keep silent, subjecting them to surveillance and intimidation tactics for years. LA Police began investigating Masterson in 2016 and he was arrested in 2020 for the attacks.
- Many ex-Scientologists accuse the Church of systematically covering up sexual assault allegations to shield their public image. Victims claim they are coerced into staying silent, denied counseling support, and harassed by officials if they request investigations into celebrity members.
Scientology’s controversial practices and theological focus on denying the existence of mental trauma has come under increasing scrutiny amidst a rising tide of ex-members alleging widespread institutional abuse and violence coverups.
What Did Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis Say About Masterson?
Both Kutcher and Kunis co-starred with Masterson for years on That 70s Show and considered him a trusted friend. After Los Angeles Police announced they were charging Masterson with violently raping three women, Kutcher and Kunis stood by him:
- In 2017, Ashton Kutcher stated publicly “I can‘t speak for him…But I will say I have never seen evidence of anything what‘s been accused of him.” He expressed doubt about the rape allegations, implying the claims were false.
- That same year, Mila Kunis said regarding Masterson “The Danny I knew…wasn‘t the guy that was being accused” – dismissing the probability that Masterson committed the assaults.
- In 2022, with Masterson’s trial approaching, both penned letters to the judge emphasizing Masterson’s “innate goodness” and positive character – in direct contradiction to his rape convictions securing a prison sentence of 45+ years.
Backlash Over Kutcher and Kunis Defending a Convicted Rapist
Once Kutcher and Kunis’ letters supporting Masterson despite his rape convictions went public earlier this year, intense backlash exploded against them on social media. Critics highlighted the unsettling dissonance of championing a violent felon as a model citizen worthy of mercy.
Accusers who battled Scientology harassment for years trying to hold Masterson criminally accountable felt bombarded with new trauma having two Hollywood elites attempt to minimize his actions on his behalf.
One victim condemned them stating: “I looked up to these people, and in a time of need they turned their backs on us. It was really painful.”
Many observers voiced disgust that Kutcher and Kunis display zero comprehension of how frequently abusers can cloak their predilections behind a charismatic facade that shields them from accountability.
Expert Analysis on Rape Culture and Victim Blaming
Kutcher and Kunis’ knee-jerk defense of Masterson illustrates the pernicious concept of “rape culture” – societal tendencies that cast doubt on accusers, normalize forms of sexual coercion, and scrutinize victims’ behavior over abusers’ choices.
Well-known bias recollection phenomena like “character bolstering” demonstrate how the instinct toward defending friends against misconduct allegations manifests frequently, despite facts confirming harm occurred.
Equally damaging is how rape culture concepts like “victim-blaming” transfer blame for assaults onto victims – questioning what they wore, why they froze up in fear instead of fighting back harder, etc. Kutcher and Kunis echo these dangerous attitudes in their sympathetic framing of Masterson.
Perpetrators deliberately cultivate images as “good guys” that inoculate them against allegations – allowing violence to be perpetrated without social repercussions.
Only 6-13% of sexual assaults are ever reported to police and a fraction of those lead to charges – allowing serial offenders to claim every accusation against them is an anomaly.
Masterson’s case tragically reflects this – despite three separate victims alleging violent rapes, close friends instinctively rushed to defend him as exceptional and morally upright.
How Can Crusaders Against Abuse Miss Clear Warning Signs?
Amidst understandable disgust toward Kutcher and Kunis over their support for Masterson, making sense of how two outspoken advocates against exploitation could display such glaring blind spots is warranted.
The intrinsics of rape culture center on creating sufficient doubt and dismissal of boundary violations until a predator’s pattern of calculated attacks becomes impossible to ignore. *Weinstein, Epstein, Cosby, R Kelly – the list goes on of beloved celebrities later exposed as serial monsters.**
A key driver is how sexual trauma festers shrouded in silence and disbelief. Victims often battle anxiety, depression and crippling self-blame for years – allowing perpetrators projecting beneficent images abundant room for manipulation.
Scientology’s documented harassment campaigns against accusers daring to come forward demonstrates how larger power structures perpetuate the suffocation of truth – until corroborating stories reach critical mass.
In an ironic twist, Ashton Kutcher has portrayed the challenges of bystanders recognizing abuse in multiple works – including the movies “The Butterfly Effect” and his celebrity stalking themed series “The Beauty and the Beast.”**
Unevolved Views on Abuse Create More Victims
While intensely misguided, when assessing Kutcher and Kunis’ support for Masterson, sociologists emphasize distinguishing between malicious intent versus insufficient modern grasp of trauma’s manifestations.
Extensive research confirms our collective understanding of sexual harm – especially against marginalized groups–remains in its infancy stage.
Waves of victims coming forward in the #MeToo era against once-revered figures underscores how blindness toward warning signs allows horrific abuses of trust where least expected.
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis’ perception of Danny Masterson as incapable of violence demonstrates a failure to modernize, not some abnormal deficiency in character.
True integrity demands acknowledging the vastness of human potential. No one is infallible or finished with the necessity for growth in elevating consciousness.
Perhaps the visceral shock over respected role models defending the indefensible can discipline wider realization that all of our sensitivities around abuse and exploitation need continual upgrading in order toauthor a new culture beyond violation and fear.
Masterson’s victims, and countless survivors bearing similar anguish, deserve that expanded vision toward justice and healing.