This article deals with accounts of sexual assault and violence and may be triggering for survivors of abuse.
Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women during his height of fame in the early 2000s.
Masterson committed his crimes while he starred on That '70s Show, as three women testified that he had given them drugs before sexually assaulting them at his home in the Hollywood Hills between 2001 and 2003.
The actor was found guilty of rape against two of his three accusers in May, and was given the maximum penalty as his sentence.
In the aftermath of the sentencing, a number of Hollywood identities have either openly or inadvertently made their stance on Danny known. We've rounded up what's been said so far.
Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher.
Both Mila and Ashton were among 50 others who wrote character letters for Masterson, which were submitted to the judge during the sentencing process.
"As a role model, Danny has consistently been an excellent one," Kutcher wrote in the letter, obtained by PEOPLE.
"I first met Danny during our time working together on That '70s Show, and from the very beginning, I could sense his innate goodness and genuine nature... 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."
Kutcher wrote, "He has always treated people with decency, equality, and generosity.
"Not only is he a good friend to me, I've witnessed him be a good friend to others and the kind of brother others would be lucky to have."
The couple have since issued an apology in response to the backlash over the letters.
Watch their apology here. Post continues after video.
“They were intended for the judge to read, and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or re-traumatise them in any way – we would never want to do that. And we’re sorry if that has taken place,” Kunis said.
The rest of the That '70s Show cast.
Original That '70s Show star and That '90s Show returnee Kurtwood Smith (who played Red) also offered a letter on behalf of Masterson.
"I consider Danny to be a good friend. Our friendship revolved around work," he wrote.
"Danny was the leader among his contemporaries in the cast. He was a tad older and much more experienced and he took that position seriously. During the eight years we did the show, we never had the problems some other shows had with their younger cast members."
Debra Jo Rupp played Kitty on That '70s Show and also submitted a letter. "He was well liked and very respected," she wrote.
"One of the first things Danny did with them was to sit [the teens] all down (he had a little meeting) and had them all make a pact that no one would do drugs because of the nature of our show. The spotlight would be on them and he wanted everyone to succeed. I remember thinking that it was such a smart thing to do and something I never would have thought of. As a result, you never saw them in the tabloids. Danny made sure of that and I was so appreciative."
Aside from the cast, other character references from actors were submitted by My Name Is Earl's Ethan Suplee, Six Feet Under's Eric Balfour, Breaking Bad's Giovanni Ribisi, Marissa Ribisi, Jonathan Tucker, and William Baldwin.
Topher Grace's wife.
Topher Grace was notably absent from the list of That '70s Show co-stars who wrote character letters. While the actor has yet to publicly comment on the sentencing, his wife Ashley Hinshaw shared an Instagram Story which appeared to address the case.
“To every rape victim that is retraumatised by witnessing society debate and focus their attention what is going to happen to the RAPIST…I see you,” she wrote.
Christina Ricci.
The Now and Then star indirectly shared her opinion on the Masterson verdict via a series of Instagram Stories.
Ricci wrote, “Sometimes people we have loved and admired do horrible things. They might not do these things to us and we only know who they were to us but that doesn’t mean they didn’t do the horrible things and to discredit the abused is a crime.
“People we know as ‘awesome guys’ can be predators and abusers. It’s tough to accept but we have to. If we say we support victims – women, children, men, boys – then we must be able to take this stance.”
She finished the post with, “Believe victims. It’s not easy to come forward. It’s not easy to get a conviction."
Danny's ex-partner and one of the three accusers, Chrissie Bixler, reshared Ricci's posts on Instagram.
Taryn Manning.
Orange is the New Black actor Taryn Manning has come out swinging, not only defending Masterson but slamming Kutcher and Kunis for backpedaling on their letters.
In an Instagram video, she ranted about the public backlash. "There's no human on this planet that doesn't deserve to have the best life and to be happy and free because you are made in the image of the good Lord, made perfectly just the way you are," she rambled.
"He made a mistake, but everyone just keep going, keep crucifying him, as if he's not already suffering."
The OITNB star then turned their attention to Ashton and Mila, referring to the couple as the "biggest disgrace of the year" who she said should "stand for something".
She then doubled down in a second expletive-filled post, writing, "I won’t EVER stop loving a pal who I know is stellar."
Kathy Griffin.
Kathy Griffin posted a TikTok to discuss the Masterson trial in light of Mila and Ashton's letter.
“I’m weighing in on the whole Danny Masterson, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis thing because, you know, it’s so difficult to get a conviction in a rape trial, it’s almost impossible,” Griffin began.
“Most prosecutors – well, all prosecutors – will not even bring a case to trial unless there’s an incredible amount of evidence because it turns into a he-said-she said, and historically juries are very trepidatious, to say the least,” she continued.
“But the notion that this guy was also convicted of drugging these women – and I believe this case was only two women… But, you know, that is such serious stuff that I don’t really care that when they were working on That ’70s Show he was, like, a good guy to work with.”
Griffin went on to speak about her late brother, Ken, who she identified as a paedophile to the LAPD. “I wrote about it in my first book, and it was a horrible, horrible thing, and I tried to get him caught,” she said.
“Now, this was my brother. So I don’t want to hear about Ashton and Mila and Giovanni Ribisi and people that feel like they had to stick up for Danny Masterson because he was their bro, he was their buddy. This was my own brother.”
@kathygriffin Trigger warning. This has haunted me my whole life. I tried everything I could think of. No one would do anything. #SA #speakup #believevictims #believewomen #triggerwarning ♬ original sound - realkathygriffin
Alanna Masterson.
Alanna Masterson is the sister of Danny and she's also an actor in her own right, starring in shows like The Walking Dead and Younger. She also provided a character letter for her brother.
"My brother is facing a lengthy sentence, therefore I wanted to give you some insight into the man that shaped me into the person I am today," her letter began.
"Danny is my best friend and helped raise me when my father left us. My mom was alone providing for all of us and Danny stepped in to shoulder that burden. He helped all of us financially, but also with the daily happenings of his younger siblings."
If this post brings up any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service. It doesn’t matter where you live, they will take your call and, if need be, refer you to a service closer to home.
Feature image: Getty.
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