Mila Kunis Was “Pimped Out” on That ’70s Show: Revisiting Hollywood’s Troubling Treatment of Young Stars

When That ’70s Show premiered in 1998, audiences embraced it as a lighthearted comedy about friendship, teenage antics, and suburban life in the disco decade. But behind the laughs, the show’s youngest cast member, Mila Kunis, was thrust into an environment that critics now view with growing unease. At just 14 years old, Kunis began portraying Jackie Burkhart — a character defined as spoiled, shallow, and sexualized. What seemed like a dream opportunity at the time now appears, in hindsight, to have been rife with exploitation, blurred boundaries, and predatory dynamics.

The discussion resurfaced after resurfaced clips, interviews, and controversies involving Kunis’s castmates, particularly Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson, reignited conversations about how Hollywood treats underage actors. The revelations are troubling not only for what they say about one young actress’s experience but for the larger culture of permissiveness in entertainment.

A Teenager on Set

Mila Kunis was barely a teenager when she landed the role of Jackie. In fact, she lied about her age to secure the part, telling producers she was older than 14. Only later, when paperwork required a studio teacher for her, did executives fully realize her youth. By then, the show was underway, and Kunis was already working alongside much older castmates, including Kutcher (19) and Masterson (22).

Kunis later admitted in interviews that if viewers watch the pilot, her age is painfully obvious: “I am clearly a child.”

That fact didn’t stop producers from writing her into romantic and physical storylines almost immediately. In one infamous moment, she shared her first on-screen kiss with Ashton Kutcher — who himself later described the situation as “slightly illegal.” A bet between Kutcher and Masterson reportedly spurred the kiss, reducing what should have been a safe, professional moment into a contest between older male castmates.

Over-Sexualization and Exploitation

From the earliest episodes, Jackie was positioned as the flirt, the “girlfriend,” and eventually, in Kunis’s own words, “the slut of the show.” This was not a label the actress gave herself — it was one she revealed the writers imposed, much to her parents’ discomfort.

In one 2002 interview, Kunis openly acknowledged that her parents were upset by how her character was portrayed. But at 14, she had little control over scripts or storylines. She found herself kissing nearly every male co-star, participating in jokes and plotlines that framed her as a sexual object rather than a multi-dimensional teenager.

One behind-the-scenes promotional special revealed Masterson, then 22, commenting on how “hot” Kunis looked in wardrobe — an interaction that now reads as deeply inappropriate. In another clip, Kutcher admitted he only agreed to participate in a promo because Kunis would sit on his lap, a moment played for laughs but uncomfortable in retrospect given her age.

Hollywood’s “Machine”

Kunis’s early career reflects a recurring Hollywood pattern: the over-sexualization of underage performers, particularly young women, to boost ratings and appeal to audiences. Like other child stars before and after her, she was thrust into a system that often prioritizes profit and entertainment value over protection and well-being.

For Kunis, lying about her age was not only a clever audition tactic — it was also a survival mechanism in an industry that demanded “emancipated” teens who could work longer hours without parental supervision. “They all want you without your parents’ guidance,” she recalled, acknowledging that the industry prefers vulnerable teens who can be molded to its demands.

The pressure to grow up too fast was real. By the time she reached adulthood, Kunis’s identity as Jackie — the shallow, over-sexualized girl — was already cemented in Hollywood’s consciousness.

Troubling Cast Dynamics

The culture on the set of That ’70s Show appears, in hindsight, to have been unhealthy. Danny Masterson’s later criminal convictions cast an even darker shadow on the environment. Meanwhile, Wilmer Valderrama, another cast member, has faced scrutiny for his pattern of dating much younger women, including Demi Lovato and Mandy Moore when they were still teenagers.

Ashton Kutcher, who eventually married Kunis, has also faced criticism. While their marriage has been framed as a love story, resurfaced clips of their early interactions — including their on-screen kiss when she was just 14 — have prompted discomfort.

Interestingly, Topher Grace, who played Eric Forman, was notably distant from the rest of the cast. Over the years, fans observed his absence from cast reunions and friendships. Today, that distance is seen by some as evidence that he deliberately separated himself from the problematic dynamics of his peers.

A Systemic Issue

Mila Kunis’s story cannot be separated from the larger history of Hollywood’s exploitation of child actors. From Judy Garland to Amanda Bynes to Britney Spears, the industry has repeatedly failed to protect its youngest and most vulnerable talent.

Kunis, unlike some of her peers, avoided the path of substance abuse or financial ruin. She credits her parents and castmates for shielding her from drugs, alcohol, and the darker sides of Hollywood. “I will say the reason I don’t do drugs, the reason I didn’t get into drugs, all of that was because nobody on the set did. I looked up to them at 14,” she explained in one interview.

Still, this doesn’t erase the over-sexualization she endured or the discomfort her parents expressed. Nor does it excuse the environment in which a 14-year-old girl was regularly put in situations with men much older than her, asked to kiss them on camera, and written into sexualized narratives.

A Tarnished Legacy

The controversies surrounding Danny Masterson’s crimes and the supportive letters Kunis and Kutcher wrote on his behalf in court have further complicated public perception. For many, Kunis’s silence on her own exploitation stands in contrast to her willingness to vouch for a convicted predator.

This silence may reflect the complexity of her experiences. Kunis has often described her time on That ’70s Show as formative, even positive in some respects. She has expressed gratitude for the friendships she made and the career it launched. Yet the darker undertones — her age, her exploitation, the inappropriate behavior of older castmates — remain unresolved.

Growing Up in Public

By adulthood, Kunis had transitioned successfully into film, starring in hits like Black Swan, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Friends with Benefits. But the shadow of Jackie Burkhart followed her.

Hollywood often struggles to let child stars evolve beyond their breakout roles. For Kunis, the transition was complicated by the sexualized persona forced upon her as a teenager. Even as she built a respected career, traces of her early exploitation remained in the cultural imagination.

The Broader Conversation

Today, as conversations about consent, grooming, and power dynamics dominate cultural discourse, Mila Kunis’s early years on That ’70s Show take on new significance. What was once dismissed as “harmless teen comedy” now appears exploitative.

The fact that Kunis herself has not spoken extensively about these issues may be telling. Whether out of self-protection, loyalty, or ambivalence, she has chosen to emphasize the positive aspects of her experience. But fans, critics, and cultural commentators continue to revisit her story as emblematic of a larger systemic problem.

What It Means Today

Mila Kunis’s journey from exploited teenager to Hollywood star underscores the urgent need for reform in how the entertainment industry treats young performers. Better protections, stricter enforcement of labor laws, and a cultural shift away from sexualizing minors are essential to prevent history from repeating itself.

Her story also serves as a reminder: behind every “success story” in Hollywood lies a more complicated truth. Kunis may have built an enviable career, but it came at a cost — one she may never fully acknowledge publicly, but one that audiences and critics cannot ignore.