Jerod Harris via Getty Images
Ashton Kutcher shared a Thanksgiving message with his followers on Thursday, breaking his social media silence in the wake of the Danny Masterson letter scandal.
"Happy Thanksgiving. In addition to life, love, health, & friendship. This year let's acknowledge being present," Kutcher wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Being present isn't responding and reacting to every inbound stimulus. It's experiencing, then having the wherewithal to not react. Digest, feel, learn, take inventory, & square this new experience with past experiences. Create a refined perspective to live with until something else refines it further. That's being present," he wrote.
Happy Thanksgiving. In addition to life, love, health, & friendship. This year let’s acknowledge being present. Being present isn’t responding and reacting to every inbound stimulus. It’s experiencing, then having the wherewithal to not react. Digest, feel, learn, take…
— ashton kutcher (@aplusk) November 23, 2023
"I'm Thankful for 'No comment', thankful for learning, thankful for listening. Thankful for sharing this life with you," he added.
Kutcher and his wife Mila Kunis faced public backlash for sending letters of support for Masterson, who was their costar on "That '70s Show," after he was convicted of rape.
Photo by Chris Weeks/Liaison
Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison in September after he was found guilty of two counts of rape in May.
According to Kutcher's letter, which was obtained by legal affairs journalist Meghann Cuniff, the actor said that Masterson "has been nothing but a positive influence on me."
"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," Kutcher wrote in his letter.
Kutcher and Kunis later apologized for their letters in a video posted to Instagram. Kutcher said that the letters "were intended for the judge to read and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or re-traumatize them in any way."
Ashton Kutcher (@aplusk)/Instagram
"We would never want to do that. And we're sorry if that has taken place," he added.
Around 50 letters were submitted in support of Masterson, including ones from Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith, who also starred in "That 70s Show," according to Cuniff.
A representative for Kutcher did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment, which was sent outside regular working hours.
