The internet is slamming Ashton Kutcher for an old clip of the actor inappropriately talking about an underage Hilary Duff and the Olsen twins that resurfaced after he expressed support for his former co-star Danny Masterson, who was convicted of rape.
“Hilary Duff is in Lizzie McGuire. She also has an album out. She’s going to be in a movie called ‘Cheaper by the Dozen,’” Kutcher said of Duff in the clip from a 2003 episode of his MTV series “Punk’d,” which he hosted until 2007.
“And she’s one of the girls that we’re all waiting for to turn 18. Along with the Olsen twins,” he continued, referring to “Full House” child actors Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen.
The now-viral clip was resurfaced on social media by one of Masterson’s accusers, Chrissie Carnell Bixler, when she shared it to her Instagram story on Saturday, Page Six reports.
Kutcher made the comment the same year that he starred in the comedy film “Cheaper by the Dozen” alongside Duff, who was 16 at the time.
Bixler also posted footage from a 2002 episode of “The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” in which Mila Kunis recalled that Masterson made a “side bet” with Kutcher, who was 19 at the time, about French-kissing her on screen when she was only 14 years old.
“I never kissed a guy. And you know, Ashton is attractive and I was a 14-year-old little girl, and I was extremely scared for my life,” she told O’Donnell at the time.
“Then Danny goes, ‘Dude, I’ll give you $10 if you French-kiss her,’” added Kunis before Kutcher interrupted to explain that Masterson had bet him $20 that he wouldn’t do it.
“And then the cops showed up, and you got arrested,” O’Donnell interjected.
“They should have, but they didn’t,” Kutcher replied.
Social media users on X, formerly known as Twitter, reacted to the “That ’70s Show” star’s controversial comments.
Last week, Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women at his Hollywood home in the early 2000s.
After it was revealed that Kutcher and Kunis wrote letters of support on behalf of their former co-star ahead of his sentencing, the pair addressed fans’ scrutiny of their letters in an Instagram video over the weekend.
Masterson famously played Steven Hyde on “That ’70s Show” from 1998 to 2006 alongside Kutcher and Kunis.
In the apology clip, Kutcher and Kunis said they are “aware of the pain” inflicted by their letters, in which they vouched for Masterson’s character.
The two explained in the footage that Masterson’s family asked them to write character letters to “represent the person that we knew for 25 years” and they “were intended for the judge to read and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or re-traumatize them in any way.”
In his July letter, obtained by reporter Meghann Cuniff, Kutcher asserted that he doesn’t consider Masterson to be an “ongoing harm to society” and described him as a “role model.” Kuni’ letter called Masterson an “outstanding role model and friend.”
Reps for Kutcher and Kunis did not immediately respond to HuffPost requests for comment.
The couple, who have been married since 2015 and share two young kids, were among nearly 50 people who advocated for leniency for Masterson ahead of his sentencing, ”Good Morning America” reports.
Masterson received letters of support from several other former co-stars, including Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp, who played Red and Kitty Forman, respectively, on “That ’70s Show.”
“We support victims, we have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future,” Kunis said in the apology video.
She wrapped up the video by adding: “Our heart goes out to every single person who’s ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse or rape.”
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