Ashton Kutcher steps down from anti-child sex abuse organization Thorn and apologizes again for writing letter of support for rapist Danny Masterson: 'It was an error in judgement'

Ashton Kutcher has stepped down from the board of an anti-child sex abuse organization he co-founded and is apologizing again for the ill-advised letter of support he wrote for his convicted rapist friend Danny Masterson. 

In a letter to the organization Thorn, Kutcher said the letters that he and wife Mila Kunis wrote were an ‘error in judgement’. 

‘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. 

‘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. 

‘I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve,’ he wrote. 

The stars were hit with a tidal wave of backlash after their letters calling Masterson an ‘honest’ man were made public. 

They did nothing to sway the judge. Masterson was jailed for 30 years. 

Kutcher was a vocal advocate for the organization, appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to attest to the horrors of child sex trafficking that he had been exposed to through his work with the charity. 

They met Masterson on That 70s Show. In an apology video posted on social media, the pair said they’d reflected on their support of Masterson and now realized it was ill-advised

They met Masterson on That 70s Show. 

In an apology video posted on social media, the pair said they’d reflected on their support of Masterson and now realized it was ill-advised. 

Masterson, a Scientologist, long denied his victims’ allegations. 

All three of his accusers were former members of the church. 

He was found guilty of raping two women. 

Throughout the trial, he enjoyed the support of his wife – actress Bijou Phillips. 

Friends who spoke with People magazine this week say she has ‘no plans’ to divorce him. 

Kutcher’s resignation was welcomed by the board at the charity. 

‘For the past decade I have worked with Ashton on child protection issues. He has been a strong champion for children and worked tirelessly to protect them from sexual abuse. 

Through the creation of the DNA Foundation that later became Thorn, he helped build the organization into a major global resource for law enforcement, tech companies and others in the fight against child sexual exploitation. 

He made a difference,’ Thorn board member Ernie Allen said in an announcement on the organization’s website. 

Another said: ‘His unwavering dedication and commitment to Thorn throughout its journey have enabled the organization to become the leader that it is in the child safety ecosystem. 

‘It has been my privilege to join him on this mission.’ 

In letters to the court before his sentencing, Masterson’s victims described how he drugged then attacked them. 

‘I still don’t recall what I wore out the door, [defense attorney] Mr Cohen. But I do know one thing you didn’t ask me… I never could find my underwear. 

‘I know this because when I got home, I didn’t have any on. 

‘And I remember being upset and embarrassed about the idea that my underwear were somewhere at Danny’s house,’ one of the victims wrote.