Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have been in the news due to their defense of their friend and former co-star Danny Masterson, who was convicted of raping two women in 2003. The couple wrote character reference letters for Masterson during his trial, in which they praised his character and good works, and implored the sentencing judge to be lenient. However, when the letters became public, they faced backlash on social media and were criticized for undermining the testimony of the victims. In response, Kutcher resigned as chair of the board of Thorn, an anti-human trafficking organization that targets child sex abuse, which he co-founded with fellow actor and ex-wife Demi Moore in 2009. Kunis also stepped down from her role as an observer on the board. The couple made a public apology in an Instagram video, expressing regret for the “pain” their letters had caused and acknowledging their support for victims of sexual abuse.