Ashton Kutcher was once a rom-com star whose name on a movie poster guaranteed success. Today, however, Hollywood offers him almost no roles. The reason lies in a series of scandals that damaged his reputation both within the industry and in the public eye. While his questionable behavior had long been criticized, the turning point came with his public support of his friend and former That ’70s Show co-star, Daniel Masterson, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison for raping two women.
Ahead of Masterson’s sentencing, Kutcher and his wife, Mila Kunis, wrote letters to the judge requesting leniency. This act sparked a wave of criticism from the public and their peers. Many called the couple hypocritical, as Kutcher was the co-founder of a foundation to combat child sexual abuse. In response to the backlash, he stepped down from the organization’s board.
Another blow to Kutcher’s image was his association with rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who was arrested on human trafficking charges. After this, old interviews resurfaced online where Kutcher bragged about attending the musician’s parties. Both internet users and celebrities suggested that Kutcher knows more than he admits. Although the actor has stayed silent on the allegations against Combs, it’s rumored he is worried about the consequences of their friendship and is even considering moving to Europe.
Attention has also returned to Kutcher’s past inappropriate comments about underage actresses. For instance, in 2003 he joked that he was “waiting for” 15-year-old Hilary Duff and the 17-year-old Olsen twins to come of age. The public accused him of sexualizing minors, which further deepened negative perceptions of the actor.
Demi Moore’s Revelations
In 2019, Kutcher’s ex-wife Demi Moore published a memoir exposing dark sides of their marriage. Moore revealed that Kutcher cheated on her and manipulated her into believing his actions were acceptable. It began when he persuaded her to have threesomes. “I put him first,” she wrote. “So when he expressed his fantasy of bringing a third person into our bed, I didn’t say ‘no.’ I wanted to show him how amazing and fun I could be.”
Moore also mentioned that, at Kutcher’s urging, she began drinking again after nearly 20 years of sobriety. “I wanted to be the girl who could have a glass of wine at dinner or a tequila shot at a party. In my mind, Ashton wanted that, too. So I tried to become that kind of fun, easygoing girl,” she wrote. Her alcoholism quickly resurfaced and worsened once she began taking Vicodin. This lifestyle distanced her from her three daughters.
Ashton Kutcher is now attempting to return to film, but his name has become synonymous with scandals, making a career comeback extremely difficult.
