It was 1998 when a 14-year-old girl with a fake ID lied her way onto a sitcom set. She had to be 18. She wasn’t. But that lie gave us Jackie Burkhart, and more importantly, it put her in the orbit of a 20-year-old Calvin Klein model named Ashton Kutcher.
Fast forward nearly thirty years.
They’re married. They have two kids. They’re worth hundreds of millions. But if you think the Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher story is just some "costars-to-soulmates" fairy tale, you’re missing the messy, calculated, and sometimes controversial reality of how they actually live.
The 14-Year Detour
People always act like they fell in love on the set of That '70s Show. They didn't. Honestly, they weren't even that close back then. Ashton was the "cool" older guy; Mila was the kid who had her first-ever kiss with him on camera—an experience she later described as incredibly awkward.
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They went their separate ways. Ashton married Demi Moore. Mila had a nearly decade-long relationship with Macaulay Culkin.
Then came 2012.
The 69th Golden Globe Awards changed everything. Mila saw a "tall guy" from behind and thought, Wow, he's attractive. When he turned around, it was her old costar. He invited her to a housewarming party. He actually tried to set her up with one of his friends that night. It didn't work. By the end of the evening, they were "shotgunning" cigarette smoke into each other’s mouths and realized the chemistry was undeniable.
Why the Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher Brand is Built on "No"
You won't see their kids on Instagram. Not ever.
Ashton and Mila have a hard rule about Wyatt and Dimitri’s privacy. They’ve basically told the world that while they chose a public life, their children didn't. It’s a stance that’s become a blueprint for other A-listers, but they take it further than most.
They don't even do Christmas gifts.
Well, they try not to. They’ve been vocal about not wanting to raise "jerks." They grew up with very little—Mila coming from Ukraine with seven dollars in her family's pocket and Ashton growing up in rural Iowa—and they are terrified of entitlement. They once famously told the Armchair Expert podcast that they don't plan on leaving a massive inheritance for their kids.
"If my kids want to start a business, and they have a good business plan, I'll invest in it," Ashton said. But they aren't getting a trust fund just for existing.
The Business of Being a Power Couple
Most people know Ashton as the guy from Punk'd, but in Silicon Valley, he's a heavyweight. Through firms like A-Grade Investments and Sound Ventures, he was an early investor in:
- Uber
- Airbnb
- Spotify
- Skype
We're talking about turning a $30 million fund into $250 million. Mila isn't just sitting on the sidelines, either. She runs her community's Homeowners Association (yes, really) and handles the "business of the home" with a level of scrutiny that would make a CFO sweat.
The 2023 Backlash and the 2026 Return
It hasn't all been "lovable goofball" energy. The couple faced massive heat in 2023 when letters they wrote in support of former costar Danny Masterson were made public during his criminal trial. It was a rare moment where the public's "couple goals" perception shattered.
They apologized. They went quiet.
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For nearly three years, they stayed off the major red carpets. That changed just days ago at the 2026 Golden Globes.
Seeing them at the Beverly Hilton on January 11, 2026, was a bit of a shock to the system. Mila was in a tea-length Carolina Herrera; Ashton went full monochrome black. Some body language experts claim they looked "rigid," but the reality is they’re navigating a post-controversy Hollywood where they aren't the "untouchable" favorites anymore.
They’re currently leaning back into work. Mila just wrapped the third Knives Out movie, Wake Up Dead Man, and Ashton is diving into a Ryan Murphy thriller called The Beauty. It feels like a calculated "Phase 3" of their careers.
Actionable Insights: The Kunis-Kutcher Playbook
If you’re looking at their life as a model for your own, here is what actually works in their "unconventional" approach:
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- The "Friends First" Rule: They reconnected as adults who already knew each other's worst habits. It lowered the stakes and removed the "performance" of early dating.
- Financial Literacy Over Legacy: Their refusal to give kids a "free ride" is about building character, not being cheap.
- Privacy as a Commodity: By keeping their kids offline, they’ve maintained a level of family peace that most celebrities lose by the time their kids hit kindergarten.
- Diversification: Never rely on one paycheck. Whether it's acting or tech investing, they always have a "Plan B" that is more lucrative than "Plan A."
The reality of Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher is that they are two very grounded, very wealthy people who are trying to navigate a world that wants them to be Jackie and Kelso forever. They aren't. They’re a business-minded duo who would rather talk about venture capital or HOAs than Hollywood parties.
Keep an eye on their upcoming projects in late 2026. The shift from "sitcom stars" to "prestige drama actors" is officially in full swing.