Ashton Kutcher has finally addressed the rape allegations against his That 70’s Show and The Ranch co-star Danny Masterson, whose character, Steven Hyde, has been unceremoniously unmentioned in Netflix‘s That 90’s Show reboot.
In an interview with Esquire, Kutcher told the outlet that he still has a relationship with his former co-star, is friends with the actor’s brother, and keeps in touch with him as well. He also keeps Masterson’s 8-year-old daughter, Fianna, at the forefront of his mind before making his comment.
“Someday, his kid is going to read about this,” Kutcher says before adding, “I wholesale feel for anybody who feels like they were violated in any way.” Although Kutcher wants Masterson “to be found innocent of the charges brought against him,” he also does not want the actor to get away with anything. He says the actor wants him to be innocent.
“Ultimately, I can’t know. 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,” Kutcher states. “And so, in that case, I don’t have a space to comment. I just don’t know.”
Reports initially broke in 2017 that the Los Angeles Police Department was investigating Masterson over multiple sexual assault allegations. Later that year, Masterson was written out of The Ranch during the investigation. In a statement to The Huffington Post at the time, Masterson denied the “outrageous allegations” against him and said he was “disappointed” over Netflix’s decision.
The actor and former star was accused of rape, allegedly occurring between 2001 and 2003 amid That ’70s Show run. Masterson was arrested in June 2020 and charged with three separate counts; he pled not guilty in 2021. A mistrial was declared after the jury could not reach a unanimous decision after deliberations. Prosecutors revealed earlier this month that they plan to retry Masterson on the charges. Jury selection for the new trial is scheduled to begin on March 29, 2023.
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