Why has Ashton Kutcher stepped down from anti-sexual abuse organization he co-founded with ex-wife, Demi Moore?

Ashton Kutcher may have primarily gained fame for appearing on That ‘70s Show as Michael Kelso, but he is also renowned for devoting himself to a life of advocacy with the creation of the anti-child sexual abuse organization, Thorn. The digital company fights to expose the sexual exploitation of children and protect them from sexual abuse, a cause Kutcher continued to stand by even after he and his then-wife, Demi Moore, separated. But while his divorce didn’t keep him away from the organization, his recent, widely-bashed decisions have forced him to step down from his position as Chairperson of the board.

Kutcher and Moore announced their continued collaboration in a joint statement via Us Weekly in 2012.

“For the past three years we have focused our work broadly on combatting child sex trafficking. It has become crystal clear in our efforts that technology plays an increasingly large role in this crime and in the sexual exploitation of children overall. We believe that the technology-driven aspect of these crimes demands its own attention and investment.”

But this cooperation has now come to an end, however, as Kutcher recently announced that he is resigning from the board of directors. The reason? The ongoing backlash against him and his wife and former co-star, Mila Kunis, has caused Kutcher to rethink his role in the group. Stemming from the resolution of That ‘70s Show co-star Danny Masterson’s trial for sexual assault — which ended with him sentenced to 30 years in prison — The Butterfly Effect actor decided this was the best course of action given the circumstances.

It began with Ashton Kutcher’s controversial letter of support for Danny Masterson

Since their early days in the entertainment industry, Kutcher and Masterson have often been linked. They played best friends Kelso and Hyde in That ‘70s Show and later reunited for Netflix’s The Ranch. However, the arrest of Masterson on charges of sexual assault created a division. Following the allegations, Masterson lost his role on The Ranch and eventually went to trial. After an initial mistrial, the actor was convicted on two counts of rape and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

What should have been an open-and-shut situation became more complicated when letters penned by Kutcher and Kunis, advocating for Masteron’s character, became public knowledge. The actors claimed that the accused was a great role model and defined his “exceptional character.” Though the statements from Kutcher and Kunis ultimately had no bearing on the sentencing, they conveyed to the masses that the couple was rallying behind their former castmate, shockingly ignoring the crimes he was eventually convicted of.

In light of the severe backlash, Kutcher and Kunis went on the record to assure that they supported all victims, but the damage was done and further worsened by the admission that the letters were supposed to remain private. The actor now had the overwhelming task of enacting damage control.

Why did Ashton Kutcher resign from Thorn?

Understandably, Kutcher had a big decision to make. Despite devoting so much time to supporting victims of sexual abuse, the optics could not look worse for the actor in the wake of the Danny Masterson conviction. To avoid detracting from his advocacy, Kutcher made the only choice he could and stepped down from his overseeing position at Thorn.

“After my wife and I spent several days of listening, personal reflection, learning, and conversations with survivors and the employees and leadership at Thorn, I have determined the responsible thing for me to do is resign as Chairman of the Board, effectively immediately. I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve.”

Kutcher went on to acknowledge that the character statement he wrote was in direct opposition to the kind of awareness and revolution he was trying to bring about. By writing in defense of Masterson, he was making it harder for survivors of such attacks to come forward. But despite his explanation and yet another apology, his statement continued to flame the fire of controversy.

Many on social media continue to take issue with his initial support for Masterson and his many apologies, pointing out that calling his actions a simple “error in judgment” was simplifying the situation as it is evident how Kutcher is all for advocating for victims until it becomes personal. After years of friendship with a now-convicted rapist, the actor was unable to be objective and only understood the consequences of his actions after the fact. Leniency may have been on his mind, but the world at large is not quite ready to let him off the hook.