Why Laura Prepon’s Divorce Might Have Something To Do With Danny Masterson’s Scandal
Content Warning: This article will contain mentions of rape and sexual assault.
While a lot may have happened since, it was only a little over a year ago when That 70s Show star Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for allegedly sexually assaulting two women. The news, which surely shook fans of the show, also put his former co-stars and friends, including Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Laura Prepon, in the spotlight.
At the time, however, while Kutcher and Kunis apologized in a public statement about the letters of leniency they wrote to the judge, Prepon stayed quiet.
But, on Nov. 12, Prepon’s husband of six years Ben Foster filed for divorce from the actress citing “irreconcilable differences” and that they were “unable to live together successfully as Husband and Wife.” Most notably, Foster declared their date of separation was September 9, 2023 – just two days after Masterson’s sentencing.
So while we may never know what happened between Prepon and Foster, who had been married since 2018, it’s safe to say the timing is quite telling. Did Prepon defend Masterson too much during his trial? Was his sentencing just a final straw for them?
As a reminder, in addition to being Masterson’s former co-star, the Orange is the New Black star dated the actor’s brother, Christopher Masterson, for eight years. After they broke up in 2007, Prepon reportedly remained friends with Masterson as they continued to stay involved in the Church of Scientology until her departure from the religion in 2016.
As for Kutcher and Kunis, the couple apologized for their letters advocating for Masterson in a video on Instagram posted on, interestingly enough, September 9, 2023. “We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson,” Kutcher said. “We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future,” adds Kunis.”
“Our hearts go out to every single person who’s ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse, or rape,” Kunis said at the end.