Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis issued a video defending their actions in writing character letters for former costar Danny Masterson.
After the existence of the letters was made public, the actors took to social media.
Masterson was sentenced to 30 years in prison after he was convicted on two counts of rape that happened years ago when he was still on That '70s Show, according to People.
Ahead of his sentencing, his former costars, Mila and Ashton, submitted letters to the judge meant to defend Masterson's character.
Those letters were made public and spoke to the person they knew from working on the sitcom together.
"As a role model, Danny has consistently been an excellent one," Ashton wrote in the letter, per People. "I attribute not falling into the typical Hollywood life of drugs directly to Danny."
Ashton outlined a few times he felt Masterson showed his good character, calling him "an extraordinarily honest and intentional human being."
Mila also wrote a letter that painted Masterson as someone who has a 'caring nature.'
"I first met Danny during our time working together on That 70’s Show, and from the very beginning, I could sense his innate goodness and genuine nature," Mila's letter read.
"Throughout our time together, Danny has proven to be an amazing friend, confidant, and, above all, an outstanding older brother figure to me. His caring nature and ability to offer guidance have been instrumental in my growth both personally and professionally."
Now, since those letters were released to the public and people are angry at Mila and Ashton seemingly defending Masterson, they released a video to fans on social media.
Mila and Ashton addressed the character letters they wrote in a video on Instagram, according to NBC News.
"We support victims, we have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future," Mila said in the video.
The two explained that Masterson's family asked them to write character letters to highlight "the person that we knew for 25 years so that the judge could take that into full consideration relative to the sentencing."
'The letters were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system or the validity of the jury's ruling,' Mila explained.
"They were intended for the judge to read," Ashton added. "And not to undermine the testimony of the victims or re-traumatize them in any way. We would never want to do that. And we're sorry if that has taken place."
Mila added: "Our heart goes out to every single person who has ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse or rape."
The comments were turned off in the social share video, but people shared their thoughts on social media.
The video upset a lot of people who took issue with Mila and Ashton seemingly disregarding victims, despite what they said in their response video.
"The Ashton/Mila letters are disgusting on so many levels, but the absolute f—ing nerve of praising Danny Masterson for his commitment to a drug-free lifestyle when he used drugs to incapacitate his victims!" one person wrote on X, formally known as Twitter.
"No hyperbole, this is one of the biggest trainwreck public statements I have ever seen," another X user shared. "The Ashton and Mila video should be shown in every single media class of what NOT to do. How this was decided to be the final product is beyond me."
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, the National Sexual Assault Hotline provides confidential 24/7 support. Call 800-656-HOPE (4673) or chat online at RAINN.
