Character letters for Masterson, ties to Combs: the reputational damage Kutcher is working to repair
Kutcher’s return to the spotlight does not come without significant baggage. According to a report from February 2026, an insider told Radar Online that the actor "lost standing in the entertainment world" due to his past associations with two figures now convicted of serious crimes.
In 2023, Kutcher and his wife Mila Kunis drew fierce public backlash after writing character letters in support of Danny Masterson — his former That ’70s Show co-star — ahead of Masterson’s sentencing for rape convictions. The couple later apologized publicly. They also faced scrutiny over their longtime friendship with Sean "Diddy" Combs, who was recently convicted on prostitution-related charges.
A source who spoke to The Sun said Kutcher and Kunis are aware they have "made a number of mistakes and they feel embarrassed by it all." Their appearance together at the Golden Globes — their first at an awards show in four years — was described by the same source as their "way of telling people they are back."
Sound Ventures on pause: why Murphy’s offer was the one project Kutcher couldn’t refuse
Kutcher had not been absent from professional life during his years away from acting. He had been focused on raising his young children and running Sound Ventures, his venture capital firm. According to his own account, he was not actively looking to return to television.
The opportunity to work with Ryan Murphy, however, changed his calculus. Murphy is one of the most commercially and critically successful showrunners in American television, with a track record that includes American Horror Story, Pose, and The People v. O.J. Simpson. Being cast as the lead in a Murphy production carries a different weight than most offers.
A friend of the couple told The Tab: "He’s really hoping enough time has passed for people to forgive him. They had friendships with people, yes, but they had no idea what they were involved in. They were hoodwinked as much as the rest of us." Whether audiences accept that framing will depend in large part on how The Beauty is received — and how Kutcher’s performance holds up against the scrutiny.
