Recently, in the aftermath of the conviction and sentencing of Danny Masterson, it was realized that his old cast-mates and friends, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis had written letters of support for Danny Masterson sent to the judge with the express purpose of asking for leniency in the sentencing. This fact brought about a backlash against Kutcher and Kunis for their supporting a now convicted rapist and predator. They were labeled as non-supporters of victims in the wake of these letters.
Now, I must attest that I do support and believe victims as needed, but I must assert that I empathize and relate to the situation of which Ashton and Mila find themselves within. Over the course of my life, I have developed close friendships with many an individual who have traveled throughout their lives harboring issues with anger, unchecked mental illness, and addictions, to name a few. Marrying my first love in 2011, whose darkness emerged through a myriad of abuse during our marriage was in contrast to the friendship I shared with him in 2003 when we met. As I freed myself from the clutches of the abusive marriage, I began the slow process of healing and in doing so, I had to make sense of the light-hearted friend from my younger years, laughingly enjoying copious cups of coffee and madcap adventures with our mutual friends, with the dark, angry, psychotic husband I would marry, a seemingly insurmountable feat. But, through the picking up the pieces of my shattered heart, learning to stand upon my own two feet, I became able to set aside the two sides of my first love, treasuring the happy always while allowing myself to grow out and away from the darkness.
This, I conjecture, is where upon Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher find themselves, remembering those happy memories in their early years of stardom on the set of "That 70's Show" with their friend, Danny, while struggling to make sense of his victimization during that time and afterwards. Unlike me, they find themselves in the public eye with little privacy to grapple with the full reality of someone they love.
As I do not know Kutcher and Kunis personally, yet from what I have observed in them, I do believe their hearts are honest and that, yes, they do believe and support victims. In that, though, I would encourage a sense of critical thinking and openness with this situation. The victims of rapists and predators are not just those they targeted specifically, but this abuse is long-reaching and vast.
My belief is that Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher are themselves victims of Danny Masterson, possibly less than those physically and emotionally harmed directly, but the depth of the emotional pain and heartbreak they are experiencing is real and raw with years ahead to process the friend they knew once upon a time with the full reality of his true nature.
Beautifully written
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