Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis apologized Saturday for character letters the celebrity couple wrote on behalf of fellow 含羞草研究社淭hat 含羞草研究社�70s Show含羞草研究社� actor Danny Masterson before he was sentenced for rape this week.

for raping two women in 2003.

In a video posted on Instagram, Kutcher and Kunis said they were sorry for the pain they may have caused with the letters, which were made public Friday.

Kutcher said the letters that asked for leniency 含羞草研究社渨ere intended for the judge to read and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or retraumatize them in any way. We would never want to do that and we含羞草研究社檙e sorry if that has taken place.含羞草研究社�

Kutcher said Masterson含羞草研究社檚 family approached them after the actor was convicted in the rapes in May and asked them to write character letters describing 含羞草研究社渢he person that we knew for 25 years.含羞草研究社� The letters were posted online by The Hollywood Reporter and other digital publications.

Masterson starred with Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Topher Grace in 含羞草研究社淭hat 含羞草研究社�70s Show含羞草研究社� from 1998 until 2006.

He had reunited with Kutcher on the 2016 Netflix comedy 含羞草研究社淭he Ranch,含羞草研究社� but was written off the show when the Los Angeles Police Department investigation was revealed the following year.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo handed down the sentence to Masterson, 47, after hearing statements from the women, and pleas for fairness from defense attorneys.

Kutcher described Masterson as a man who treated people 含羞草研究社渨ith decency, equality, and generosity,含羞草研究社� he wrote in his letter dated July 27, 2023.

Kunis in her letter to Olmedo called Masterson 含羞草研究社渁n outstanding role model and friend含羞草研究社� and an 含羞草研究社渆xceptional older brother figure.含羞草研究社�

Both rapes took place in Masterson含羞草研究社檚 Hollywood-area home in 2003 when he was at the height of his fame on the Fox network sitcom 含羞草研究社淭hat 含羞草研究社�70s Show.含羞草研究社� The victims testified that .

Kunis said in the apology video that their letters did not mean to undermine the testimony of victims.

含羞草研究社淥ur heart goes out to every single person who含羞草研究社檚 ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse, or rape,含羞草研究社� she said.

The Associated Press