On December 12, Mila Kunis was spotted out and about for the first time in nearly two months as she ran errands in L.A. Decked out in a holiday sweater, jeans and sneakers, the Black Swan actress — who also wore a black face mask — chatted on her phone and tried to blend in while doing some shopping.
It’s no secret why the 40-year-old and her actor husband, Ashton Kutcher, 45, have been keeping low profiles of late. In early September, the parents of two, wed since 2015, faced major backlash after letters of support they’d written for their That ’70s Show costar Danny Masterson during his rape trial went public. Despite a swift apology, fans were not quick to forgive or forget. Now sources tell In Touch the former golden couple is still trying to find their footing after their epic fall from grace. “Mila and Ashton used to be a genuinely liked and well-respected pair, so this has been a huge wake-up call for them,” says an insider. “They are shocked to the core and are doing their best to lay low, hoping it doesn’t jeopardize their careers in the long-term.”
Cancellation Fears
Mila and Ashton insisted they meant no harm when they submitted character statements to the court asking for leniency prior to Danny’s sentencing. (After being convicted of raping two women, the 47-year-old actor was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.) In their letters — which they believed would not be made public — the duo were just sticking up for their old friend, describing him as a “role model” and “positive influence.” The insider says Ashton and Mila believed Danny would ultimately be exonerated, adding, “The idea that one of their closest friends could be capable of something so heinous just didn’t seem to register.”
They wrongly assumed they’d be forgiven in the court of public opinion. But their apology video — in which they said they were “aware of the pain” they’d caused and that they “support victims” — was slammed for being disingenuous and defensive. Days after posting it, a disgraced Ashton was forced to resign from his role as chairman of a non-profit he cofounded to combat child sexual exploitation. “Clearly, saying sorry didn’t do a lot of good,” says the insider. “Nor has it helped Ashton and Mila to move forward.”
Licking Their Wounds
Hindsight is 20/20. “They see now it was ultimately a calamitous decision that’s totally backfired and blown up in their faces,” says the insider (tellingly, neither has any major roles in the pipeline). “All the reasoning in the world doesn’t detract from the fact that they went to bat for a convicted rapist. It’s a horrific look no matter how they spin it.”
There’s been one bright spot in what can easily be described as the worst year of their lives: the drama has brought Mila and Ashton (who share daughter Wyatt, 9, and son Dimitri, 7) closer together. “There’s no use blaming themselves or each other, they’re all they’ve got,” explains the insider. “They got in this mess together and they’ll get out of it together, however long it takes.”
