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.

  • Exaggeration207@beehaw.org
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    90
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    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.

  • blanketswithsmallpox@kbin.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    73
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    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
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      58
      ·
      1 year ago

      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
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        20
        ·
        1 year ago

        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
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          1 year ago

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

        • BeeMe@beehaw.org
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          1 year ago

          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
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            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
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        16
        ·
        edit-2
        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
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      27
      ·
      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.

  • lobut@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    28
    ·
    1 year ago

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

  • PotentiallyAnApricot@beehaw.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    23
    ·
    edit-2
    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
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    15
    ·
    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.

  • Uniquitous@lemmy.one
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    9
    ·
    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.