Ashton Kutcher has taken the decision to resign from Thorn, the charity he co-founded to combat child sexual abuse. This move comes in the wake of significant backlash stemming from a letter of support he sent to a judge following the rape conviction of Danny Masterson, a former co-star of Kutcher’s. In his resignation statement to Thorn, Kutcher acknowledged that his support letter constituted an “error in judgment.”
Danny Masterson was recently sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for the rape of two women. Notably, actress Mila Kunis, Kutcher’s wife and fellow star of “That ’70s Show” alongside Masterson, also penned a similar letter of support, which only added to the controversy surrounding the case.
The letters from Kutcher and Kunis triggered widespread criticism from both victims and advocacy groups. In light of this, Kutcher decided to step down from his role as chairman of the board at Thorn, effective immediately. He expressed that his decision was driven by “recent events” and a deep reflection on the matter.
In his resignation letter, Kutcher stated, “I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve.” Thorn, established by Kutcher and his former spouse Demi Moore in 2012, is dedicated to combatting the sexual exploitation of children, with a particular focus on addressing the role of the Internet in disseminating child sexual abuse material and facilitating sexual slavery. The organization has claimed to identify 27,000 child victims and remove over two million potentially abusive files from the internet.
Kutcher also expressed regret over his letter of support for Masterson, recognizing that it contributed to the distress of victims who had bravely shared their experiences. He emphasized that such actions run counter to the decade-long efforts aimed at supporting and believing survivors.
