While actor Danny Masterson’s forcible rape case remains at a standstill after an initial trial last November concluded in a hung jury, his That ‘70's Show co-star Ashton Kutcher has tentatively touched on some of the charges Masterson faces in a new conversation with Esquire.
“Ultimately, I can’t know,” Kutcher tells Esquire’s Madison Vain about his thoughts on Masterson’s charges. “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.”
After performing alongside Masterson on That ‘70's Show for eight seasons between 1998 and 2006, Kutcher also acted with him on the Netflix comedy The Ranch, which ran from 2016 t0 2020. Masterson was written off the show in 2017 after rape allegations from five different women first came to light.
In the wake of mounting allegations, Kutcher has kept in touch with Masterson and his son, whom he says he thinks of often given the widespread coverage of Masterson’s case available online. “Someday, his kid is going to read about this,” Kutcher shares.
Although Kutcher asserts that he wants Masterson to “be found innocent of the charges brought against him,” he also says he “wholesale feel[s] for anybody who feels like they were violated in any way.” As Kutcher tells it, Masterson was one of the more experienced players on That ‘70's Show and was known around the set for keeping younger actors in check and advising them away from career-marring decisions.
“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 recalls.
If convicted of all three counts of forcible rape he’s been formally charged with, Masterson could face 45 years in prison. For now, the presiding judge has set a retrial date for March 27 of this year.
If you or someone you know is suffering from sexual abuse, contact the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.