Christina Ricci has taken to social media to address a pressing issue following the sentencing of actor Danny Masterson. In a statement posted to her Instagram Story, Ricci encourages her fans to “believe victims” and sheds light on her personal experiences with individuals who are “abusers privately.”
The actress’ message came on the heels of controversy after Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis recently apologized for their letters of support for Masterson, their That ’70s Show co-star who was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison after a jury convicted him on two counts of forcible rape against two women in his Hollywood Hills home in the early 2000s.
Ricci opens her message by acknowledging the painful reality when people who are loved and admired commit terrible acts. She emphasizes the importance of not discrediting abuse survivors, stating, “They might not do these things to us, and we only know who they were to us, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t do horrible things.”
She urges her followers to recognize that even individuals perceived as “awesome guys” can be predators and abusers. “It’s tough to accept but we have to. If we say we support victims — women, children, men, boys — then we must be able to take this stance,” Ricci emphasizes.
In a subsequent Instagram Story, Ricci shares her experiences, noting that she had known “lots of ‘awesome guys’ who were lovely to me who have been proven to be abusers privately.” She emphasized the difficulty of coming forward and obtaining convictions, highlighting the importance of believing victims.
Ricci’s poignant message is accompanied by a heartfelt selfie featuring her 9-year-old son, Freddie Heerdegen, with the caption, “We out here believing and hoping for a better future.”
Her comments coincide with Kutcher and Kunis sharing a video message on social media to address their support letters for Masterson. They clarified that their letters were not intended to question the legitimacy of the judicial system or invalidate the jury’s ruling but were written at the request of Masterson’s family to represent the person they had known for 25 years.
Kutcher and Kunis expressed their support for victims of sexual assault and apologized if their letters had caused any harm or retraumatization.
Masterson’s sentencing marked the end of a long legal battle, with the actor’s legal team maintaining his innocence and vowing to seek a reversal of his conviction.
Actors Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith — who portrayed Kitty and Red Forman on That ’70s Show — also wrote letters to the judge, as did actors Giovanni Ribisi and William Baldwin, whose wife, Chynna Phillips, is the sister of Masterson’s wife, Bijou Phillips.
Kunis and Kutcher’s apology also came one day after Ashley Hinshaw — the wife of That ’70s Show star Topher Grace, who played Eric Forman — spoke out on Instagram following Masterson’s sentencing.
Hinshaw said, “To every rape victim that is [retraumatized] by witnessing society debate and focus their attention on what is going to happen to the RAPIST…I see you.”
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