11 Red Flags In Mila Kunis And Ashton Kutcher's Relationship

The following article contains references to sexual violence.

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis are one of those couples that fans actually love to love. The dynamic duo co-starred on "That '70s Show" during the late 1990s and early 2000s, and their chemistry as actors was palpable. In their respective roles of Michael Kelso and Jackie Burkhart, Kutcher and Kunis appeared to fall in and out of love over and over again — leading many viewers to yearn for them to get together for real. By 2012, fans got their wish, as Kunis and Kutcher embarked on an actual off-screen romance. Two years later, the pair welcomed their first child, and a year after that they tied the knot.

Interestingly, though, as the couple grew more serious, their onscreen relationship became deeper, as well. In 2021, they acted in a Super Bowl commercial for Cheetos, and in 2022, they made a guest appearance on the small screen spin-off, "That '90s Show." On both of these occasions, Kutcher and Kunis played an adorable onscreen couple, projecting the image that their relationship is perhaps just as idyllic in real life.

At the end of the day, however, acting is an expression of fiction — not a reflection of reality. And while Kunis and Kutcher may appear to be deeply in love on the small screen, their actual marriage is more complicated than that. Despite the couple's overwhelming popularity, there are plenty of red flags in their relationship.

When it came time to film the fifth episode in Season 1 of "That '70s Show," Mila Kunis was feeling nervous. She had already read the script and knew that she was going to have to kiss her then-co-star, Ashton Kutcher. However, there was a massive problem: Kunis was just 14 years old and had never been kissed. Kutcher, meanwhile, was a 19-year-old Calvin Klein model and actor whose age made him much too old to be smooching someone so young.

Years later, on "The Rosie O'Donell Show," Kutcher himself would admit, "She was 14 when we started the show. I was, like, 19, right? And they're like, 'Okay, you guys are going to be making out in this scene,' and I'm thinking, like, 'Wait, this is slightly illegal, right?'" Despite these reservations, Kutcher said that he had attempted to "French kiss" Kunis during the scene. The reason? Apparently, his co-star Danny Masterson bet him $20 that he wouldn't do it. In the same chat with Rosie O'Donell, Kunis said that she actually had to close her mouth to prevent Kutcher from slipping her the tongue. "He never got his tongue in my mouth," she declared. Kutcher insisted that he had. "I so did it," he claimed.

As far as first kisses go, this one showed no respect for Kunis' feelings. Making matters worse, Masterson – who instigated the episode — was later sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for two counts of rape.

If you or someone you know is dealing with spiritual abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

Ashton Kutcher's attempt to French kiss the young Mila Kunis was not the only time he expressed inappropriate interest in underage girls. In 2003, when Kutcher was 25 years old, he expressed sexual feelings towards Hilary Duff, who was then just 15.

A 2003 clip of Ashton Kutcher on 'Punk'd' has resurfaced and it shows the 25 year old Kutcher saying this about 15 year old Hilary Duff:

"She's one of the girls that we're all waiting for to turn 18."pic.twitter.com/KjrduXZhiO

— Mr. Pop (@MrPopOfficial) September 9, 2023

The trouble started when Kutcher invited Duff to make a guest appearance on his MTV prank show, "Punk'd." Speaking to the cameras, he started out by lauding the famous actor and singer for her professional accomplishments. "Hilary Duff is in 'Lizzie McGuire,' she also has an album out. She's going to be in a movie called 'Cheaper by the Dozen,'" Kutcher said. These words, however, quickly transformed from complimentary to creepy when he added, "She's one of the girls that we're all waiting for to turn 18 — along with the Olsen twins." Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen were just 17 at the time that Kutcher made these comments. Kutcher's words represent a major red flag. After all, said interest is wildly inappropriate and, if acted upon, widely illegal.

Despite all the red flags surrounding Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis reconnected with him in 2012. Reflecting on their reunion in a conversation with Sirius XM, Kunis recalled, "We'd always kept in touch but I never thought of him romantically. I was at an awards show, and I see this guy, and I see his back, and he's really tall. I was like, 'Who's that guy?'" (via Daily Mail). It didn't take Kunis long to discover that the man in question was Kutcher. "I think for the first time ever he took my breath away," she remembered.

While that scene might sound romantic, things between Kutcher and Kunis did not exactly evolve in a sentimental way. On the contrary, the pair pursued a "friends with benefits" arrangement, in which they agreed to enjoy each other physically rather than emotionally. "We shook hands on it, and life was great. But we were in agreement that it was just fun," Kunis revealed in the same interview.

Although there is nothing wrong with two consenting adults agreeing to keep things casual, psychologists say that most friends with benefits relationships don't last. As former Harvard University instructor Justin J. Lehmiller, Ph.D, put it in a piece for Psychology Today, "Most FWBs appear to be a temporary arrangement that either dissolves or changes form in less than one year." Ultimately, it took Kunis and Kutcher only three months to make their relationship more official.

Relationships are not always easy — especially if one or both of the partners involved are struggling to commit. Unfortunately for Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, this was a huge issue in the early days of their relationship. Even after the couple moved away from their friends with benefits situation, Kutcher and Kunis tried not to let things between them get too serious. As Kunis revealed in an interview with Sirius XM, "We started dating with the idea we both were never going to get married" (via Daily Mail).

Of course, both parties had reasons for wanting to avoid making a bigger commitment: Both Kunis and Kutcher had already faced romantic disappointments. In 2011, Kutcher separated from his then-wife, Demi Moore after allegations of infidelity on his part. At the time his relationship started with his former co-star, he was still legally married. Kunis, meanwhile, had split from longtime partner Macaulay Culkin in 2011. These incidents left both "That '70s Show" actors feeling down in the dumps. As Kutcher would later tell Esquire, "Nothing makes you feel like a failure like divorce."

One of the most challenging parts of dating a celebrity is likely dealing with tabloid rumors. This was certainly true for Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis back in 2013 — when gossip columnists began to wonder whether or not Kutcher was really faithful to his new girlfriend. As Hollywood Life reported at the time, a woman named Sara Leal claimed to have proof that Kutcher was dating a friend of a friend. Apparently, one of Leal's co-workers sent her a photograph of Kutcher in his PJs. The intimate snapshot had allegedly been taken by one of said co-worker's gal pals.

In an interview, Leal contemplated the significance of the photograph in question. "It could just be an innocent picture," she said, "But I think it's also possible he's not dating Mila exclusively. Not just because of that photo, but because he's cheated before. That would definitely be a red flag for me, if I were dating someone who'd cheated on their wife. I would hate for Mila to have the same experience as Demi."

Although it's impossible to verify Leal's allegations, it's worth noting that she had previously been honest with the press. In 2011, Leal told Us Weekly that Kutcher had pursued her while he was still married to Demi Moore. Moore later confirmed her claims.

It's not uncommon for celebrities to wed in secret. Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds said that they kept their second wedding on the DL after generating controversy with their first. Similarly, during their shocking interview with Oprah Winfrey, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, claimed to have wed in a secret ceremony of their own. As such, the fact that Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher tied the knot in secret might not seem too unusual. Whereas most couples announce the details of their wedding shortly afterward, Kunis and Kutcher didn't officially confirm their marital status until a full year later. "We never denied it; we just never talked about it," Kunis insisted to Glamour (via PopSugar).

As reported by the Mirror, Kunis and Kutcher are believed to have gotten married during Fourth of July weekend in 2015. Oddly, prior to that date, Kunis had sat down with The Telegraph to speak on the theme of gun safety. During this conversation, the actor referred to Kutcher as her husband, not her boyfriend or fiancé. She reportedly stated, "My husband grew up in Iowa, and is from a hunting family. He's worked with rifles his whole life." As the Mirror pointed out, this calls into question when they actually married.

Just six months after Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis announced that they were together, scandal struck. British tabloid The Sun published photographs of Kutcher exiting a massage parlor in Los Angeles, California. As reported by the Daily Mail, the pictures show Kutcher trying to hide his face as he left the establishment. Although rumors have long swirled around the type of services offered at the parlor in question. Naturally, if true, this serves as quite the red flag. However, there is no evidence that Kutcher was engaging in anything inappropriate.

Unfortunately for the former Calvin Klein model, his visit to the massage parlor led to an intensive media investigation into the reputation of the establishment. An anonymous individual who worked at the nearby Sushi 101 told reporters from In Touch, "I have never seen any women go in there. ... It's for the men — if you know what I mean" (via Hollywood Life). Another worker from the area added, "Men are in and out at all hours of the day of night."

The intensity of these accusations ultimately led Kutcher to deny accusations of impropriety via a spokesperson, who told the press, "Nothing inappropriate happened and nothing inappropriate was offered to him. Any implication to the contrary is a lie." Regardless of what did or didn't take place at the parlor, the rumors surrounding Kutcher's activities cannot have been easy on his marriage with Kunis.

In 2019, Life & Style magazine alleged that Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis were headed for divorce. The reason? They apparently couldn't see eye to eye on the topic of couple's therapy. Per the Latin Times, a so-called insider told Life & Style, "Her married friends and even some of her friends who aren't married are in counseling. ... There's no stigma about it, but Ashton says he's just not into it or he's just too busy." The same source reportedly told the tabloid that Kutcher "doesn't think they have a problem, so he sees no reason for counseling." Regardless of whether or not there was a kernel of truth to these rumors, Kunis and Kutcher were quick to deny them.

In a video, which they shared on Instagram, the couple mocked the headlines about their "impending" divorce. "It's over between us," Kunis joked while looking at the salacious story on her phone. "It's over between us? Oh my God, what are we going to do?" Kutcher joked.

While Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher have no problem laughing at some relationship drama, there is one thing that the couple does not find funny. Apparently, they both take Kutcher's history of infidelity to Demi Moore very seriously — with Kunis feeling more than free to critique her now-husband for his previous lack of loyalty.

In an interview with Esquire, Kutcher said that Kunis wanted him to take responsibility for his actions. "You were an a**hole," she reportedly told him. When he tried pushing back, Kunis only grew more insistent. "Yeah, you were an a**hole for a good two years," she said.

Kutcher made this admission years after Moore published her 2019 memoir, "Inside Out." The book extensively discussed the details of her divorce from Kutcher. Moore has also spoken on national television about the extramarital affair that Kutcher pursued with Sara Leal. On an episode of "Good Morning America," Moore revealed that she first found out about Leal's Us Weekly article via a Google alert on her phone. She then called Kutcher to ask if Leal's claims of an affair were true. He apparently came clean and admitted to infidelity. "I think I could barely take a breath," Moore told Diana Sawyer (via The Hollywood Reporter).

One of the biggest red flags in Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis' relationship pertains to their friendship with their former "That '70s Show" co-star Danny Masterson. When Masterson went on trial for three counts of rape in 2023, Kutcher and Kunis wrote their former colleague letters of support. In a later apology video that Kutcher shared on Instagram, the couple attempted to explain why they'd written the letters. "A couple of months ago, Danny's family reached out to us, and they asked us to write character letters to represent the person that we knew for 25 years, so that the judge could take that into full consideration relative to the sentencing," Kutcher stated. In the end, Masterson's crimes spoke louder than Kutcher and Kunis' words. He was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison on two counts of rape, according to the BBC. 

Kutcher and Kunis, meanwhile, were criticized for their support of their former co-star. After all, the BBC reported that Kunis called Masterson "an outstanding role model" and "exceptional older brother figure" in her letter. This proved harmful to at least one survivor of Masterson's crimes — known in court documents as Jane Doe number one. She denounced the couple's apology video in a text journalist Yashar Ali. "This video was incredibly insulting and hurtful," she wrote per Ali's post on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

On September 16, 2024, rapper Sean Combs — also known as "Diddy" — was arrested by federal agents in New York. Combs was charged with crimes that included sex trafficking, racketeering, and transporting people with the end goal of prostitution. Per an indictment that was released by NBC News, "Combs abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires." Combs has pleaded "not guilty" to the charges.

In light of Combs' arrest, things are reportedly tense between Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis. Kutcher has been close to Combs for years, bringing into question how much he knew about the rapper's activities. After all, Kutcher has previously implied that he was privy to quite a few of Combs' secrets. In a 2019 "Hot Ones" interview, Kutcher was asked to share a funny story from one of the rapper's parties; however, the actor could not think of a single anecdote that was appropriate for television. "Wow, okay, I've got a lot I can't tell," Kutcher said. He then began to tell another story, before cutting himself off and declaring, "Can't tell that one either." Instead, he told a story about Combs unrelated to his parties.

In this case, many of Kutcher's fans have wondered what sorts of details he's been keeping under wraps. Others yet have speculated that Kunis is less than thrilled with her husband — and maybe even contemplating divorce.