Mila Kunis Reveals Why She & Ashton Kutcher Won’t Return to ‘That ’90s Show’ After Danny Masterson Controversy
The former ‘That ’70s Show’ cast member explained why she and her husband aren’t reprising their roles as Jackie Burkhart and Michael Kelso.
That ’90s Show was renewed for a second season, but Mila Kunis and her husband, Ashton Kutcher, won’t be returning. Mila, 40, explained in a new interview the reason why she and Ashton, 46, decided not to reprise their iconic roles as Jackie Burkhart and Michael Kelso, respectively.
“I mean, we did our thing, and they introduced our son in the show and that was, you know, [enough],” Mila told Entertainment Tonight at PaleyFest in an interview published on Monday, April 22.
Season 1 of the Netflix series premiered in January 2023 and starred a new gang of teenagers. The show is a spinoff of That ’70s Show and focuses on the children of the original cast. Mila and Ashton’s characters briefly appeared in one episode after their son, Jay Kelso, was introduced.
In September 2023, Mila and Ashton’s former That ’70s Show co-star Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for two counts of rape. At the time, Mila and Ashton faced extensive backlash after it was discovered that they wrote letters to the judge in support of Danny, 48.
In her letter, Mila described Danny’s “caring nature and ability to offer guidance” and noted that he has “been instrumental in [her] growth both personally and professionally.”
“I wholeheartedly vouch for Danny Masterson’s exceptional character and the tremendous positive influence he has had on me and the people around him,” Mila added in her letter.
After the public learned of her and Ashton’s supportive letters, the spouses addressed the controversy in an apologetic Instagram video.
“We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson,” Ashton began in the clip, before later adding that the letters “were intended for the judge to read and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or re-traumatize them in any way. We would never want to do that. And we’re sorry, that has taken place.”
Mila also noted, “We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future. The letters were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system, or the validity of the jury’s ruling. … Our heart goes out to every single person who’s ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse or rape.”
If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.