Asthon Kutcher opened up about Danny Masterson in a new Esquire profile as part of the former’s recent acting comeback that includes reprising his “That ’70s Show” character Kelso on Netflix’s sequel series “That ’90s Show” and starring opposite Reese Witherspoon in the upcoming Netflix rom-com “Your Place or Mine.” Kutcher and Masterson first met as co-stars on “That ’70s Show,” and their friendship and collaboration continued through their work on the Netflix sitcom “The Ranch.”
Masterson was charged in June 2020 with three counts of rape from alleged incidents that took place between 2001 and 2003. His 2022 court case ended in a mistrial in December. Masterson will now face a second trial on rape charges. The actor was first accused of sexual assault in 2017 and was later written out of the third season of “The Ranch.” Kutcher continued to star on the show without Masterson for half of Season 3 and for a fourth and final season.
Speaking to Esquire, Kutcher said what he wants is for Masterson “to be found innocent of the charges brought against him.” However, that doesn’t mean Kutcher wants Masterson off the hook for alleged crimes. Kutcher just hopes Masteron’s alleged behavior isn’t true because Masterson was such a mentor for him throughout his career. If the allegations against Masterson are true, that’s a different story.
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“Ultimately, I can’t know,” Kutcher said about the outcome of Masterson’s trial. “I’m not the judge. I’m not the jury. I’m not the DA. I’m not the victim. And I’m not the accused. And so, in that case, I don’t have a space to comment. I just don’t know.”
Kutcher said that Masterson became the ring leader for the young cast of “That ’70s Show” since he had already been working for some time before the Fox series launched. Masterson kept the cast in check and away from drugs, Kutcher remembered.
“He’s like, ‘One fucking rule: Don’t do anything fucking stupid and fuck this up. Because if you fuck it up, you fuck it up for everybody,’” Kutcher said of Masterson’s advice to him at the time.
Reflecting on the current allegations against Masterson, Kutcher said he often thinks of his former co-star’s child. “Someday, his kid is going to read about this,” Kutcher said, referring to the onslaught of internet articles about Masterson’s alleged abuse and trial.
Kutcher added that he supports anyone who has faced abuse, saying, “I wholesale feel for anybody who feels like they were violated in any way.”
Head over to Esquire’s website to read Kutcher’s profile in its entirety.
