Ashton Kutcher Opens Up About How 'Toxic Masculinity' Shaped His Parenting

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, who have been married since 2015, share two children--Their daughter, Wyatt Isabelle Kutcher, born in October 2014, and their son, Dimitri Portwood Kutcher, born in November 2016.

The couple is typically tight-lipped about their family life, but they’ve given fans a peek into their world through occasional interviews and social media posts--whether that be a sweet snapshot of their kids or candid comments about parenting.

In a new interview, Ashton Kutcher has opened up about how external influences have shaped his parenting approach with his son and daughter.

On the Thursday, September 5 episode of the "Throwbacks" podcast, Ashton Kutcher chatted with cohosts Matt Leinart and Jerry Ferrara about his experience as a "girl dad."

"I don't know if it equates to being a girl dad or it equates to her being my first, but when I had my daughter, I had never been so in love in my entire life," the "No Strings Attached" actor said, per People Magazine. "And Mila and I talked about it a lot. Like, I've never loved anyone this much. Ever."

The actor revealed that he approaches parenting his son and daughter "differently," acknowledging that some of his parenting style might be influenced by "toxic masculinity" from his own experiences.

"My son, I'm always like, 'Yeah, let's go for it.' Like yesterday, we're popping wheelies on a bicycle in the driveway or it's like, 'See if you can jump down four stairs,' " he said. "My daughter, I just want to protect her."

"When my son cries, I'm like, 'All right, what did we learn? Let's move on.' But when my daughter cries, my heart is out of my body and I can't put it back in," he admitted.

"But I also notice the same thing with my wife. She's very strict on our daughter and a gushball with our son," Kutcher said of Kunis' parenting style. "I think we balance each other that way."

While Mila Kunis seems like the perfect mom, she has admitted to making mistakes. One notable "parenting fail" she revealed was encouraging her daughter to stand up to a bully.

"There was a little kid in my kid's preschool that wasn't very kind and pushed my daughter," the actress said in a "Mom Confessions" series for Ellen. "My daughter came back and was like, 'Such and such little kiddo pushed me.' And I instinctually said, 'Did you push her back?' And my daughter's like, 'No!' "

After she told Wyatt to "push her back next time and say no thank you and walk away," the "Bad Moms" actress recalled "seeing Ashton's face and he's like, 'No!' "

"I'd say that that's a parenting fail," she added with a laugh.

After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Mila Kunis, who was born in Ukraine, and Ashton Kutcher had a meaningful discussion with their children about their heritage and the significance of the situation.

"It is ultimately incredibly important to know where you came from. It's beautiful, it's amazing to have multiple cultures. We shouldn't all be alike. We shouldn't all think alike," Kunis said on "Who's Talking to Chris Wallace?" in March 2022, per People Magazine. "That's not the importance of community and growth. And so, we very quickly reminded our kids that they are half Ukrainian."

Back in July 2021, Kunis shared with People that her daughter Wyatt, who was six at the time, had developed a keen interest in outer space.

"Here's the irony: My daughter is in love with space. Right now, if you asked her what does she want to be when she grows up, she's going to tell you she wants to be an astronaut chef in space," she said. "That's what she wants to be. On the International Space Station, she wants to be the chef and an astronaut."

Kunis went on to reveal how she has always been committed to keeping it real with her daughter, openly acknowledging her mistakes—a practice she’s maintained since Wyatt was very young.

"The only thing I've ever felt guilty about, and I actually apologized to my 3-year-old, is when I overreact," Kunis said in 2017. "I absolutely apologize to her. Even from a point when she didn't understand that I was apologizing, I would be like, 'I'm really sorry. Mommy didn't handle that situation very well.' "