Ashton Kutcher has resigned from the anti-child sex abuse organization, Thorn, that he co-founded in 2009 with ex-wife Demi Moore.
The actor cited the backlash he and current wife Mila Kunis, 40, received for writing support letters for Danny Masterson’s rape case as the reason behind for his decision to depart.
“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, effectively immediately,” Kutcher, 45, wrote on Friday. “I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve.”
“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,” Kutcher continued.
“This is precisely what we have all worked to reverse over the last decade.”
“The mission must always be the priority and I want to offer my heartfelt apology to all victims of sexual violence and everyone at Thorn who I hurt by what I did,” he concluded. “And to the broader advocacy community, I am deeply sorry. I remain proud of what we have accomplished in the past decade and will continue to support Thorn’s work. Thank you for your tireless advocacy and dedication to this cause.”
Thorn published Kutcher’s open letter to the board announcing his resignation on its website.
The Post has contacted reps for Kutcher and Kunis for comment.
Masterson starred alongside the couple in “That ’70s Show” from 1998 until 2006.
He also starred in alongside Kutcher in Netflix’s “The Ranch” starting in 2016, but was written off the show once the LAPD launched an investigation on Masterson in 2017.
Masterson was sentenced last week to 30 years to life in prison for two rapes he committed in 2003.
Kutcher and Kunis’ character letters to Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo were made public after his sentencing, resulting in widespread criticism.
The “How I Met Your Mother” actor wrote that Masterson, 47, had “been nothing but a positive influence” on him, adding that he is “an extraordinarily honest and intentional human being.”
Meanwhile, the “Friends with Benefits” actress described Masterson as an “amazing friend, confidant, and, above all, an outstanding older brother figure to me.”
The couple addressed their letters days later in a video posted to Instagram, in which Kunis said the letters “were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system or the validity of the jury’s ruling.”
She added, “We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future.”
