LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Ashton Kutcher has not really been in the limelight lately. After ‘That ’70s Show’ and some romcoms that made him a household name, the actor has taken on a new role, and probably the most difficult to date. He is now a venture capitalist and an angel investor. He manages people's money through his company, Sound Ventures among many other endeavors.
However, Kutcher focusses most of his energy on Thorn, a nonprofit organization he established in 2012 with his ex-wife, Demi Moore, to combat the sexual exploitation of children.
Ashton Kutcher turns advocate against child sexual exploitation
Speaking about how Thorn came into existence, Kutcher reportedly said, "Once I gained a certain level of fame, I was constantly approached to lend my name to various causes. I began to wonder if there was a single cause that I could genuinely support."
Reacalling a documentary he watched with Moore about sex trafficking in Cambodia, Kutcher said, "These Cambodian children were only 7, 8, 9 years old. I began to inquire, and people informed me, 'Oh, no, it's happening right here in Los Angeles.'" With aid of the Clinton Global Initiative, Kutcher did some digging of his own and found that poverty was often a contributing factor to exploitation, but addressing poverty alone was too immense a challenge.
Kutcher discovered that approximately 70% of child sex trafficking in the US happened online. "This was a medium I had considerable experience with, and I knew many individuals who could offer assistance," he said.
Ashton Kutcher on Danny Masterson’s trial
In an interview with Esquire in January, Kutcher revealed what he thought about Danny Masterson's trial while discussing his comeback to acting on 'That '90s Show' and 'Your Place or Mine'. Kutcher and Masterson were co-stars on 'That '70s Show', and they decided to share screen space again for another sitcom, 'The Ranch'.
Kutcher reportedly said that he wanted Masterson "to be found innocent of the charges brought against him." Nevertheless, that doesn't imply that the 'What Happens in Vegas' star wanted Masterson to evade accountability for any alleged crimes. Kutcher hoped that the allegations against Masterson were false because the disgraced actor was a mentor to him throughout his career.
"Ultimately, I cannot ascertain. I am not the judge. I am not the jury. I am not the DA. I am not the victim. And I am not the accused. Therefore, I do not have the authority to comment. I simply don't know," Kutcher reportedly said.
Recalling their time on 'That '70s Show', Kutcher said that Masterson became the leader of the young cast of the sitcom, given his experience in the industry before the show. Masterson guided the cast and ensured they stayed away from drugs, Kutcher recalled.
