The Truth About Ashton Kutcher And Brittany Murphy's Relationship

Chances are millennials and Y2K-movie fans remember when "That '70s Show" funnyman Ashton Kutcher and "Clueless" star Brittany Murphy appeared to be more than just co-stars in the 2003 romantic comedy, "Just Married." Kutcher, now married to his "That '70s Show" co-star Mila Kunis, and Murphy only appeared in the one project together. But it was their moments together off-screen that had fans talking in the early 2000s.

In a 2002 interview with the Associated Press, Kutcher's answer to a question about similarities between Murphy and her "Just Married" character left fans speculating about the pair's real-life relationship status. The actor certainly didn't hold back his obviously positive feelings for his co-star.

"The character's not like Brittany. It is in that the relationship in the movie is very similar to our relationship," he explained. "I think that you're far more compassionate than your character is in the movie, and I think that Brittany has a far larger joy for life than her character," Kutcher added. "Sometimes I think I'm dreaming when I get to spend time with her because she's so incredible and so amazing that you can't believe that she's real."

The duo's relationship fascinated and confused fans at the time (via Showbiz Cheatsheet). Here's everything we know about their interesting, albeit fleeting, time together.

In late 2002, Ashton Kutcher was Hollywood's golden boy after starring in the likes of "Dude, Where's My Car?" and "That '70s Show." Brittany Murphy was also becoming a Hollywood starlet and stayed busy after making a name for herself in "Clueless." She continued landing film roles with "8 Mile" released the same year the young stars started filming their box-office hit "Just Married."

After filming wrapped, the two embarked on a press tour for the romantic comedy. It seemed that neither Kutcher nor Murphy could not stop singing the other's praises. 

While on that press tour, Kutcher told MTV working with Murphy taught him something new every day, and he didn't hold back on letting the world know. "She just brings it, man. She's really, really awesome. She makes me smile every day," Kutcher gushed. "I'll do anything with her, any movie, hands down."

In the same interview Murphy was seemingly smitten with her charming co-star. "He's one of the kindest humans I've ever met," Murphy said. "He's an extraordinary person. Once you realize he does one thing amazingly, you're then shocked, and you realize that he does another thing equally as amazingly and then there's another thing after that."

After "Just Married" premiered, Brittany Murphy and Ashton Kutcher were spotted out and about holding hands, kissing, and enjoying each other's company without a film crew in tow (via Showbiz Cheatsheet). The actors seemingly had a lot in common; both sported happy-go-lucky personalities and showcased their undeniable talents. 

During a 2003 interview with People, Kutcher's mother Diane Portwood didn't shy away from reinforcing what the tabloids were speculating. "It's like, 'Are those two even acting," Portwood asked. "They act the same way here at home ... they're always holding hands, goofing around, wrestling around on the floor the way people in love do."

Despite the co-sign from his mom, Kutcher seemed to be unsure of where the relationship stood. He dispelled engagement rumors in a March 2003 interview with the Associated Press and shed light on the evolution of their relationship. "Like 10 months after we finished making the movie, we both went off and did different movies and then started hanging out together in LA just kind of by chance. I mean, I don't even know that we're actually dating, we're just kind of companions, we just like spending a lot of time together."

Perhaps it's no surprise that the two reportedly split just a few months after the film released, as Kutcher made waves when he was spotted on the red carpet with his then-girlfriend Demi Moore, 15 years his senior, in June 2003 (via Us Magazine).

Fans were dumbfounded and heartbroken when Brittany Murphy was found dead in her Hollywood Hills home in 2009. The star was 32 at the time of her passing (via CBS News). People are still talking about the bizarre circumstances surrounding her death as explored in the 2021 HBO Max docuseries "What Happened, Brittany Murphy?"

Less than three months after Murphy's death, Ashton Kutcher sat down with Nightline and revealed he had spoken to his former co-star just a couple of months before her passing (via ABC News). He added that he was producing a TV show and had her in mind for a role.

When speaking about Murphy's legacy, he highlighted the undeniable joy she brought to each and every situation. "She was like the person who walked in the room and she was always the first person to dance," Kutcher explained. "I just try to connect to that and celebrate who she was and how she was, and not make sense of it, 'cause there is no sense of making sense of it."

Kutcher was allegedly approached to participate in the HBO Max project, but an anonymous source told OK! that he reportedly wanted no involvement in the project.