Ashton Kutcher says ‘I chose love’ amid Danny Masterson backlash

The ‘I chose love’ message was sent to anyone who has signed up to receive text messages from Kutcher, via his Community.com marketing platform

Ashton Kutcher appeared to take to his Community.com marketing platform Tuesday afternoon to text what could be seen as a message in response to the intense backlash he and his wife Mila Kunis have received over the character letters they wrote on behalf of their friend, convicted rapist Danny Masterson.

The cryptic message makes no direct reference to Masterson. However, it appears to address the uproar caused by Kutcher and Kunis’ praise of their longtime friend and former “That ’70s Show” co-star. In a video apology that went viral over the weekend, the couple sparked outrage for their “tone-deaf” letters, as well as their “inauthentic” and “lawyered-up” attempts to justify themselves.

“A friend said something to me today: We have one heart we can fill with hatred or love,” Kutcher said in a text message sent at 4:09 p.m. Tuesday. “I went with love.”

Kutcher apparently sent out a second message a minute later, repeating: “I chose love.”

This “I chose love” message was sent to anyone who has signed up to receive text messages from the actor, using his “unique” 10-digit phone number, which he advertises on his X account and is made available via Community.com‘s SMS marketing platform. Kutcher, a well-known tech entrepreneur and investor, is also a co-founder of Community.com, and he has previously used text messages to send personal messages or to promote new projects, such as his Netflix rom-com “Your Place or Mine.” Kutcher did not share his “I chose love” message on X or Instagram, possibly hoping to direct it to his mostly loyal followers.

Since their marriage in 2015, Kutcher and Kunis have been a Hollywood power couple. They met on the TV sitcom “That ’70s Show,” which aired from 1998 to 2006, and began dating several years later, after Kutcher divorced his first wife, Demi Moore.

The couple has been under fire since their letters, which are part of the public record, were made public on Friday. In the letters, Kutcher referred to Masterson as “a role model,” and his wife praised his “excellent character.”

Masterson had been sentenced to 30 years to life in prison the day before for two counts of rape. Between 2001 and 2003, the attacks took place in his Hollywood Hills home.

Following the publication of the letters, regular people on social media, celebrities, media commentators, and Masterson’s victims dissected them, frequently expressing outrage. Colleen McCormack-Maitland, the deputy director of legal services at the Legal Action Center (LAC), told Vox that the letters were “out of touch” and even “counter-productive.”

People were drawn to the couple’s claims that Masterson was anti-drug use. “Not falling into the typical Hollywood life of drugs directly to Danny,” Kutcher said, while Kunis said “Danny played a pivotal role in guiding me away from such destructive paths.” According to critics, these statements appeared to be a reaction to specific allegations in the case, even an attempt to “undermine” the victims’ claims that Masterson drugged and then raped them.

Over the weekend, Kutcher and Kunis released a video apology for their letters in an attempt to mitigate public relations damage.

“We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson,” Kutcher stated in the video. He also stated that the letters were “intended for the judge to read and not to undermine or re-traumatize the victims in any way.” We would never do something like that, and we apologize if it has happened.”

“Our hearts go out to every single person who has ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse, or rape,” Kunis added.

However, commentators called the video “a non-apology apology.” Since then, Kutcher has been a particular target of criticism, with many questioning whether his high-profile support for causes that aid sex abuse victims or combat sex trafficking is genuine. He’s also been chastised for his honesty and previous behavior.

Chrissie Carnell Bixler, one of Masterson’s accusers, went on the offensive, telling Kutcher on Instagram Story, “You’re just as sick as your’mentor.'” She and others showed old clips from “The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” in which Kunis recalled Kutcher making a “side bet” with Masterson about French-kissing her during a romantic scene on “That ’70s Show.” Kunis was 14 at the time of the wager.

Bixler also pointed to a 2003 video of the actor on his MTV show “Punk’d” discussing actress Hilary Duff. Kutcher says in the video that Duff, who was still a minor at the time, is “one of the girls that we’re all waiting for to turn 18.” In addition to the Olsen twins.”