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New Linkin Park singer Emily Armstrong has addressed her support for Danny Masterson during a sexual assault trial that saw him convicted of rape.
Armstrong has been appointed the rock band’s new lead vocalist seven years after the death of singer Chester Bennington, and on Friday (6 September), videos of the singer belting out the band’s most famous songs circulated online.
It was then claimed on social media by Cedric Bixler-Zavala, the husband of Masterson accuser Chrissie Carnell-Bixler, that Armstrong had supported the Ranch and That ‘70s Show star, who was accused of drugging and raping three women at his home between 2001 and 2003.
Masterson, who had letters of support written by Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis ahead of his sentencing, was convicted of raping two of the women in 2003, but the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the third allegation from November 2001, which was brought forward by a former girlfriend. He was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison last September.
Without naming Masterson, Armstrong shared a statement addressing the backlash, in which she said she was once “asked to support someone I considered a friend at a court appearance”.
The post read: “Hi, I’m Emily. I'm new to so many of you, and I wanted to clear the air about something that happened a while back. I went to one early hearing as an observer. Soon after, I realised I shouldn’t have.
“I always try to see the good in people and I misjudged him. I have never spoken with him since. Unimaginable details emerged and he was later found guilty.”
She continued: “To say it as clearly as possible: I do not condone abuse or violence against women, and I empathise with the victims of these crimes.”
Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s initial post condemning Armstrong for her perceived Masterson support said: “Do your fans know about your friend Danny Masterson? Your rapist friend.”
At the time of Masterson’s trial, Kutcher and Kunis, who co-starred alongside Masterson in That ‘70s Show, vouched for the actor’s “exceptional character” and pleaded for Judge Charlaine Olmedo’s leniency.
Kutcher called his co-star a “role model” and “a person that is consistently there for you when you need him”.
After their support for Masterson led to a backlash, the married couple apologised in a video that saw them express regret for the letters.
“We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson,” Kutcher said, with Kunis adding: “We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future,” his wife added.
