this post was submitted on 10 Sep 2023

153 points (100.0% liked)

World News

22058 readers

85 users here now

Breaking news from around the world.

News that is American but has an international facet may also be posted here.

Guidelines for submissions:

Where possible, post the original source of information.
- If there is a paywall, you can use alternative sources or provide an archive.today, 12ft.io, etc. link in the body.
Do not editorialize titles. Preserve the original title when possible; edits for clarity are fine.
Do not post ragebait or shock stories. These will be removed.
Do not post tabloid or blogspam stories. These will be removed.
Social media should be a source of last resort.

These guidelines will be enforced on a know-it-when-I-see-it basis.

For US News, see the US News community.

This community's icon was made by Aaron Schneider, under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

153

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis apologize over letters of support for Danny Masterson (abcnews.go.com)

submitted 1 year ago by some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org to c/news@beehaw.org

32 comments fedilink hide all child comments

The three women were members of the Church of Scientology, as is Masterson. All three women said they were initially hesitant to speak to law enforcement because they said church teachings discouraged reporting to police. The women eventually left the church.

Cults are bad, people. Religion is bad because it's a normalized / accepted cult. Eff this guy.

I noticed that Topher Grace didn't get mentioned for writing a letter to the judge. I've never thought he's a great actor (he was pretty good in Traffic), but I like him a bit more now.

all 33 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] Exaggeration207@beehaw.org 90 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

I doubt Ashton and Mila apologized because they actually regret writing those letters; this is just damage control because they got caught defending a rapist. Also, Scientology isn't a religion, it's a criminal organization, and it ought to be treated as such.

I was disappointed to hear that Kurtwood Smith wrote a letter in support of Masterson too. I really liked him in RoboCop... but I guess there's a reason why he was so good at acting like a total bastard.

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 30 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Cult vs Criminal Org. Both can be true.

[–] liv@beehaw.org 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Yeah the largest biological weapon attack on US soil was a cult.

[–] Synnr@sopuli.xyz 19 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Hasn't Ashton Kutcher essentially stopped acting and dedicated his life to fighting child predation?

Edit: I guess it's Moore and Kutcher. https://www.thorn.org/about-our-fight-against-sexual-exploitation-of-children/

[–] DessertStorms@kbin.social 6 points 1 year ago

So you'd think he'd know better.

[–] amotoohno@beehaw.org 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Well, if republican politicians and catholic priests are any guide, this means Kutcher and Moore are almost certainly prolific child abusers.

EDIT: oh FFS, their org is THORN?!? The same group of wine mommies trying to destroy the internet with that awful and mislabeled “kids online safety act”?

Fuck them AND their parent-pandering bullshit. Scientologists are nasty business.

[–] Conyak@lemmy.tf 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Religion and criminal organizations don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

[–] AngrilyEatingMuffins@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago

Just look at the Catholic Church.

[–] blanketswithsmallpox@kbin.social 73 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I don't know about you guys, but if a great friend and coworker I knew to be an upstanding person got accused of raping people I didn't know, I'd be with my friend all the way.

When it comes out they actually did the thing? You condemn what they did.

This isn't some weird 'gotcha'. This is people who like to scrutinize people who watch the Kardashians essentially doing the same thing on the internet lol.

Having your trust and integrity betrayed is one of the most human and humbling moments possible. One which anybody who's had more than two friends or a family in their life has ALREADY gone through.

What a pile of low life tabloid shitmongery.

Don't be a fucking hypocrite. Do you want people to change their opinions with new information or not?

[–] Perfide@reddthat.com 58 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I mean, their letter wasn't written after he was accused though, it was written after he was convicted of it. They weren't merely expressing shock or disbelief, they were trying to provide a character witness to try to reduce his sentence on his RAPE CONVICTION.

[–] zkikiz@lemmy.ml 20 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I absolutely hate this situation and I was going to write a whole thing about how we wouldn't do the same thing if an upstanding husband and father was convicted of murder, except oh yes people literally actually do do the same thing. You'll literally have letters written like "he made a mistake but he has kids at home please go easy on him" as if actual murder isn't a pretty big disqualifier.

I guess we humans have a blind spot to the most common sins versus the mythical perfect criminal who spits on babies and hails satan...

[–] iheartneopets@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

The difference is that most people aren't in charge of charities meant to help sexual assualt victims.

[–] BeeMe@beehaw.org 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I still believe in forgiveness when people admit their wrongs and explain their thought process without bullshit. We all make mistakes, sometimes really stupid ones.

[–] zkikiz@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago

I'm not sure if anyone involved actually admitted their wrongs, it sounds like Ashton is sorry people felt bad not that he did it

[–] storksforlegs@beehaw.org 16 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Yes, writing a letter to get sentence reduction might be reasonable if it were a non-violent crime. Shoplifting, tax fraud or drugs or something, I dont know. But not rape for effs sake.

[–] Devi@beehaw.org 27 points 1 year ago

The couple knew these women. They had these women to their houses. Danny wasn't raping strangers in dark alleyways, he was raping partners when they said no. Chrissie was with him for 6 years.

After hearing the evidence. After him being convicted. They both wrote statements saying he was a great guy.

[–] CeruleanRuin@lemmings.world 34 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Celebrity. Gossip. Is. Not. News.

[–] library_napper@monyet.cc 26 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Rapists in a cult that have been convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison is definitely news, celebrity or not.

[–] gaytswiftfan@beehaw.org 3 points 1 year ago

yes it is

[–] teft@startrek.website 30 points 1 year ago

[–] lobut@lemmy.ca 28 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Topher's wife put out a statement in support of the victims. Which is where the support should be, in my opinion.

[–] gregorum@lemm.ee 12 points 1 year ago

and Topher, afaik, knew well enough to stfu

[–] PotentiallyAnApricot@beehaw.org 23 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I am so tired of this dynamic, both in high profile cases and in my own local community. If people gave even a tenth of the support they give to accused predators, to the actual people they have hurt, the world would be a completely different place. I don’t understand the instinct here to shame and ostracize survivors but lionize the people accused of rape and abuse. I’m exhausted.

Edit: I want to add: People do deserve support while they work on changing, but this isn’t that. They were trying to help his case and rehabilitate his character, not help him take accountability and make amends. That’s what makes it so awful. You can support someone you love in taking responsibility for their their actions, without downplaying the seriousness of it or shielding them from what they did. This is the latter. People always say they’re doing the former, but there is a massive distinction.

[–] GrayBackgroundMusic@lemm.ee 15 points 1 year ago

FTA:

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis issued an apology

No, they didn't. That video wasn't an apology. It was a "sorry if you got upset" PR skit.

[–] lilShalom@lemmy.basedcount.com 14 points 1 year ago

Their apology was a way to dip their toes in acting again.

[–] ashtrix@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They're just trying not to get canceled.

[–] Contend6248@feddit.de 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Can we please start to cancel these scientology fuckheads altogether

[–] Uniquitous@lemmy.one 9 points 1 year ago

I hadn't been aware that Scientology was mixed up in all this but I am not in the least surprised to learn it.

[–] Ransom@lemmy.one 8 points 1 year ago

I like Topher. His podcast was charming as heck.

[–] reverendsteveii@lemm.ee 6 points 1 year ago

Well damn, Jackie, I can't control his sentence

[–] balderdash9@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 year ago

shoulda talked to their PR person first on this one

[–] fruitleatherpostcard@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

Too late. You are now marked as Scientologist scum.