Ashton Kutcher's Twin Brother Michael Recalls Anger Over Actor Sharing His Cerebral Palsy Battle

They’re alright now, but there was a stretch in 2003 when Michael Kutcher was none too pleased with his twin brother Ashton Kutcher Ashton Kutcher.

That year, the actor, then a cast member on That 70’s Show, revealed in a TV interview that his brother has cerebral palsy. Michael had never spoken publicly about his disorder before.

“I was very angry. Very angry. I remember speaking to him about it,” Michael, 43, told NBC’s Today show on Thursday, May 20. “I didn’t want to be the face of CP. I never talked about it.”

Months later, a woman in the family’s native Iowa asked him to speak at a gala about his life with cerebral palsy. He told Today he met up with her and her 5-year-old daughter, who suffers from a severe form of the disorder, saying, “I was finally ready to tell my story and I knew because of my twin, I’d have a big reach.”

Michael himself was just 3 when he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy after battling developmental delays, he told Today. And Ashton spent their childhood supporting and defending when kids teased him about it. Michael recalled an instance where bullies called him the R word.

“My brother picked a fight with them. He stood up for me. He wanted them to treat me with respect,” Michael said. “And that meant a lot.”

source: eonline.com