Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher has moved to definitively clear the air regarding his personal hygiene, nearly five years after a casual podcast remark ignited a bizarre and persistent public debate about how often he showers. The 47-year-old star labelled the ongoing fascination with his washing routine 'the craziest thing of all time' in a new interview with People magazine.
The Podcast Comments That Sparked a Firestorm
The controversy originated in 2021 during a joint appearance with his wife, actress Mila Kunis, on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast. Kunis, 42, explained that growing up in the Soviet Union without consistent hot water influenced her approach to bathing, stating she did not wash her children daily. Kutcher then jokingly added his own method, claiming, 'I wash my armpits and my crotch daily, and nothing else ever.'
This offhand comment was taken literally by many fans, leading to years of speculation and questions about whether the actor genuinely neglected to soap the rest of his body. The story took on a life of its own, leaving Kutcher bemused by the lasting fallout.
Setting the Record Straight with Costars
While speaking to his costars Anthony Ramos and Jeremy Pope for People, in promotion of their upcoming Hulu body horror series The Beauty, Kutcher attempted to explain the strange saga. 'There was a comment on a podcast, so long ago… and people are like, "They don't shower,"' he recounted, clearly exasperated. He insisted, 'I shower, I go to the gym, I shower.'
Ramos swiftly came to his defence, laughing as he vouched for his colleague's cleanliness: 'I can confirm my boy showers.' Kutcher emphasised that the original remarks were blown out of all proportion and that his actual hygiene practices are perfectly normal.
New Series and Comments on Ex-Wife Demi Moore
The interview primarily served to promote The Beauty, a new series created by Ryan Murphy and Matt Hodgson. Kutcher plays a tech billionaire linked to a deadly, sexually-transmitted beauty treatment that alters DNA. The show's premise has drawn comparisons to the 2024 film The Substance, which starred Kutcher's ex-wife, Demi Moore, and earned her an Oscar nomination.
When asked about the similarities, Kutcher offered rare public praise for Moore, from whom he was divorced in 2013 after eight years of marriage. 'Demi's performance in The Substance, obviously she got extraordinary accolades. I'm so proud of her. She killed it,' he told Entertainment Tonight. This follows a period of reported tension after Moore's 2019 memoir, Inside Out, detailed struggles during their relationship, though Kutcher later stated there was 'no badness' between them.
Ultimately, Kutcher hopes the focus will shift from his shower schedule to his new project, closing a peculiar chapter that captivated the public for half a decade. The actor's experience stands as a stark reminder of how a fleeting, humorous comment in the digital age can evolve into a long-running narrative.
