Ashton Kutcher 'Desperate' to Repair Reputation After Letter of Support for Former Costar Danny Masterson: Report

Ashton Kutcher went into damage control after it was revealed that he and wife Mila Kunis wrote letters of support for former costar Danny Masterson in the wake of the actor's rape conviction.

"Ashton is desperate to dig his reputation out of the dirt," an insider shared, according to a sensational report from The National Enquirer. "He wants people to be aware he KNOWS he made a mistake!"

An insider said it's "the height of Hollywood hypocrisy to claim to be a champion of those who've been sexually abused while supporting an abuser," RadarOnline.com has learned.

The former Punked star recently quit as chair of an anti-child sex abuse group organization he founded with ex-wife Demi Moore following the intense backlash over the contents in his letter pleading for leniency ahead of Masterson's sentencing.

Masterson was ultimately sentenced to 30 years to life in prison after being found guilty of two counts of rape in May.

RadarOnline.com obtained the letters in which Kutcher described Masterson as a "role model" and dear friend, while Kunis referred to her former costar as an "amazing friend," "confidant," and "outstanding older brother figure."

"I attribute not falling into the typical Hollywood life of drugs directly to Danny," the Your Place or Mine actor added. "I am grateful to him for that positive peer pressure."

Many fans were outraged after the letters were exposed.

"After my wife and I spent several days of listening, personal reflection, learning, and conversations with survivors and the employees and leadership at Thorn, I have determined the responsible thing for me to do is resign as Chairman of the Board, effectively immediately," Kutcher wrote while stepping down from the nonprofit. "I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve."

The couple starred on That '70s Show with Masterson, who was accused of committing the rapes at the height of his fame between 2001 and 2003.

Kutcher said in hindsight, that he realized his character letter was "another painful instance of questioning victims who are brave enough to share their experiences."

"This is precisely what we have all worked to reverse over the last decade," he continued. "The mission must always be the priority and I want to offer my heartfelt apology to all victims of sexual violence and everyone at Thorn who I hurt by what I did."

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A source close to the situation, however, claimed, "I don't know how he — or Mila — are ever going to recover from this."