Once-beloved Hollywood star Ashton Kutcher’s name has been dragged into numerous headlines for all the wrong reasons ever since his then-close-friend Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs ended up in federal custody last year. The disgraced rapper’s countless high-profile friendships and relationships shortly came under the scanner, while authorities sought to unravel his network, hoping to find any other potential criminal links.
Although the Bad Boy Records founder was ultimately acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, i.e. the more serious charges in his trial, he was handed convictions on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. His sentencing is scheduled for this October.
Kutcher, who has rather stayed on the down-low ever since, has long been the focus of questionable debates even over his backing of his former That 70’s Show co-star Danny Masterson ahead of his 30-year sentence for rape in 2023. Here’s how his recent switch-up could land him back in Hollywood’s “good graces.”
Ashton Kutcher’s Soho House move to revive his Hollywood reputation
Earlier this week the 47-year-old star shared some positive news with his millions of social media followers. After 15 years as a “proud” Soho House member, the Dude Where’s My Car actor is pedalling down harder on the endeavour with aims of “investing to help take the company private.” His move is part of a $2.7 billion deal led by New York-based MCR Hotels and private equity firm Apollo, as per the Daily Mail.
Given his new position on the board, Ashton called the exclusive club a “global creative home, a refuge, and a launchpad for friendships.” Soho House in itself is a brand that mirrors Kutcher’s own stand in a famed community, especially since the once-star-studded private club has been the victim of financial downfalls and other red flags in the recent years. It no longer soars among the same elite standards as it once did, attracting celebrities like Taylor Swift, Leonardo DiCaprio, George and Amal Clooney, Tom Cruise, and David and Victoria Beckham.
Quite similarly, Ashton Kutcher, a once-highly-sought-after actor has witnessed directors quit on him, given how big of a task it is to pin down filmmakers “looking for him to join their projects,” according to an insider.
With more reactions pouring in, a source told the Daily Mail that while Kutcher initially made quite a name, in addition to making “lots of money,” for himself, as someone on That 70’s Show and Two and a Half Men, the American actor continued reeling in a millions-worth income thanks to his early investments in companies like Spotify, Uber, Skype and Airbnb. With those decisions potentially empowering his today’s moves, the insider spilled Kutcher has long “seen himself as a business savvy person, and almost a savant.”
While Ashton has made money through several professional ends, his latest Soho House board move is more about presenting himself as someone who is accountable and dependable. The insider suggested that while the Jobs actor’s “star has been tainted for one reason or another,” he still hasn’t given up on landing crucial acting roles. This is exactly where the Soho House takeover fits into the picture, as, through it, he hopes to “get in the good graces of influencers, young businesspeople and Hollywood elite” and make “his name mean something like it used to back in the day.”
On the contrary, Kutcher’s wife Mila Kunis, who was also on That 70’s Show with him and Masterson, has maintained her position in the movie/TV biz thanks to her “endless money from Family Guy.” The Black Swan actress also signed off on the letters of support for Danny.
Ashton Kutcher’s ‘smart’ move praised as ripple effects of Diddy, Danny Masterson backlash still there
Crisis communications and reputation management firm Kessler PR Group’s CEO Karen Kessler, on the other hand, hailed Kutcher’s Soho investment, calling it “smart.” Noting how Ashton is a “proven commodity in the investment scene with a winning track record,” he can now draw in the influencer community while working the room.
Kessler further remarked that a good investment, a successful film, some humour in an interview and surrounding oneself with the right people is a “road to redemption,” thus proving “reputation damage can be short live in the celebrity space.”
Kutcher and Diddy (alongside Jamie Foxx) once openly shared a close friendship, name-dropping each other in interviews and what not. However, Ashton eventually stopped partying with the ex-gatekeeper of the hip-hop industry due to his romantic ties with Demi Moore, as per yesteryear reports. It is firmly believed that the No Strings Attached star stopped clubbing with Combs after he fell in “love” with Moore in 2003.
Nevertheless, the Revolt founder later clarified in 2010 that their friendship was very much intact. And yet, in October 2024, TMZ floated a report insisting that Kutcher could take it easy, as he was not a target of the federal investigation in Combs’ case.
Ashton Kutcher’s acting ‘pipeline’
Kutcher, despite his links to either controversial figure, has not been formally accused of any misconduct. He was last seen in the Netflix rom-com Your Place or Mine (opposite Reese Witherspoon) in 2023. That same year, he also reprised his role as Michael Kelso from That 70’s Show for a cameo on its Netflix sequel, That 90’s Show.
As for his acting future, the first insider spilling details on Kutcher’s potential acting comeback to the Daily Mail hinted at some productions being “in the pipeline.”