Viewers of That ’90s Show are well aware that the show is missing one important character who appeared in nearly every episode of That ’70s Show: Steven Hyde, played by Danny Masterson. In 2020, Masterson was charged with multiple counts of rape, and as a result he was not asked to join the Netflix reboot of the series that made him and others — including Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Topher Grace — famous.
In an interview with Esquire, Kutcher, who does appear in the reboot, spoke about his costar, who was a mentor to him when they worked together on That ’70s Show and the Netflix series The Ranch. Kutcher revealed that Masterson, the oldest of all the core cast members, kept everyone else in line on the show.
Kutcher remembered Masterson’s advice to their peers, telling Esquire, “He’s like, ‘One fucking rule: Don’t do anything fucking stupid and fuck this up. Because if you fuck it up, you fuck it up for everybody.'”
That ’70s Show ran from 1998 until 2006. The rape charges against Masterson all stem from incidents that occurred between 2001 and 2003 while the show was still on the air, the same time he was presumably advising his peers.
As for whether Kutcher thinks Masterson is guilty of the charges, he’s certain of one thing: he will never know. “Ultimately, I can’t know,” he told the outlet. “I’m not the judge. I’m not the jury. I’m not the DA. I’m not the victim. And I’m not the accused. And so, in that case, I don’t have a space to comment. I just don’t know.”
That doesn’t mean he doesn’t hope his friend – with whom he still keeps in touch – is innocent. He told Esquire that he wants Masterson “to be found innocent of the charges brought against him,” meaning that he hopes his friend really didn’t do the crimes he stands accused of, not that he wishes him to be let go without punishment. The suit against Masterson ended in a mistrial in November 2022, and a new trial date has been set for March.
If you or someone you know needs to reach out about sexual abuse or assault, RAINN is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673), or online at RAINN.org.
