Before his sentencing, Danny Masterson received some encouragement from his That '70s Show co-stars.
On Thursday, the actor was sentenced to 30 years in jail for two rapes that occurred during the height of his That '70s Show stardom. Prior to the ruling, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis also sent letters defending Masterson's character. In an excerpt from a letter to the court, Kutcher referred to Masterson as a "role model."
Later, he recounted an incident at a pizza shop in which Masterson allegedly intervened to assist a stranger who was being "berated" by her partner.
"Danny was the first one to come to this girl's defense even though we had never met or seen them before. He didn't have to get involved in the incident, but he did so on purpose because of the man's improper behavior," Kutcher wrote. He further writes that he has always acted decently, equally, and generously toward others.
In his letter, Kutcher described Masterson as "an extraordinarily honest and intentional human being." .
Mila Kunis also penned her own letter, in which she described Masterson as having "exceptional character."
The two letters were included in a collection of dozens of references meant to attest to Masterson's character.
Star of That '70s Show and That '90s Show Kurtwood Smith also supported Masterson in good faith.
William Baldwin, Giovanni Ribisi, Ethan Suplee, Eric Balfour, Marissa Ribisi, Christopher, Jonathan Tucker, and Jordan, Will, and Alanna Masterson's siblings also signed letters of support for the actor.
This is not the first time Kutcher has talked about the role Masterson plays. In January, he said he hoped Masterson wasn't guilty of the charges.
Masterson's hearing for rape started in October of last year, but it was thrown out of court at first. He said he wasn't guilty, but in May, a judge found him guilty on two counts of rape. When he went to court on Thursday to get his term, he could have got 30 years to life in prison. “The Ranch” star is going to try to change his sentence.