Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher 'Shocked to the Core' Over Danny Masterson Backlash: 'Hoping It Doesn’t Jeopardize Their Careers'

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher are struggling to pick up the pieces of their reputations after facing backlash for defending convicted rapist Danny Masterson in character letters prior to his sentencing.

In the lengthy messages, the Dude, Where's My Car actor referred to Masterson as a "role model" and "friend" who had been "nothing but a positive influence on me." Meanwhile, Kunis called her former co-star a "dear friend" and an "outstanding older brother figure to me."

"They are shocked to the core and are doing their best to lay low, hoping it doesn’t jeopardize their careers in the long-term," a source spilled to a news outlet, further clarifying that Kunis and Kutcher had both genuinely believed Masterson was going to be exonerated of his crimes.

"The idea that one of their closest friends could be capable of something so heinous just didn’t seem to register," the source added.

Once the contents of the letters went public, the pair immediately faced waves of criticism from those who thought they were ignoring the pain Masterson's victims had suffered.

Kutcher and Kunis both stepped down from their roles at their anti-child sexual abuse organization, Thorn, which the father-of-two founded back in 2009. They also released a public apology — which many former fans found to be severely lacking.

"We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future," the Ted actress claimed in the apology video. "The letters were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system or the validity of the jury's ruling. They were 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're sorry if that has taken place."

"Clearly, saying sorry didn’t do a lot of good," the source explained. "Nor has it helped Ashton and Mila to move forward."

"They see now it was ultimately a calamitous decision that’s totally backfired and blown up in their faces," they continued. "All the reasoning in the world doesn’t detract from the fact that they went to bat for a convicted rapist. It’s a horrific look no matter how they spin it."

"There’s no use blaming themselves or each other, they’re all they’ve got," shared the source. "They got in this mess together and they’ll get out of it together, however long it takes."

As OK! previously reported, Masterson was found guilty of two counts of rape for incidents that occurred in the 2000s. He was later sentenced to serve 30 years to life behind bars.

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