Mila Kunis is well-known as Jackie Burkhart from That ’70s Show, and as the voice of Meg on Family Guy. From action flicks to comedies, she has done them all — earning acclaim along the way. Even as her star has risen in the entertainment industry, Kunis has never hesitated to call out sexism and discrimination. In an open letter several years ago, the actor described one of her most traumatic experiences. She detailed what happened when a producer threatened her after she refused to pose naked.
Mila Kunis opened up about being threatened by a Hollywood producer
Kunis has often been hailed as one of the most beautiful and striking women in Hollywood. Unfortunately, she’s encountered some unscrupulous types along the way. This includes some film executives who didn’t hesitate to try to capitalize on Kunis’ good looks.
In a 2016 open letter, Kunis called out a producer who tried to take advantage of her. As reported by BuzzFeed, the star wrote,”‘You’ll never work in this town again.’ A cliché to be sure, but also what a producer threatened when I refused to pose semi-naked on the cover of a men’s magazine to promote our film.”
Kunis went on. “I was no longer willing to subject myself to a naïve compromise that I had previously been willing to. ‘I will never work in this town again?’ I was livid, I felt objectified, and for the first time in my career, I said no.” The Friends With Benefits actor also wrote about what happened after she refused to pose naked.
“And guess what? The world didn’t end. The film made a lot of money, and I did work in this town again, and again, and again. What this producer may never realize is that he spoke aloud the exact fear every woman feels when confronted with gender bias in the workplace,” she continued.
Mila Kunis has been transparent about sexism and stereotyping in entertainment
Kunis’ open letter isn’t the only time that she has chatted about how women are treated in Hollywood. In a 2022 Vanity Fair interview, the actor talked about one of her earliest roles. She played a small part as Ashley in the TV series 7th Heaven.
Kunis admitted that her dark, curly hair caused producers to think of her as the “bad girl” on the show, since that was the stereotype of the time. In spite of her experience being typecast, Kunis seemed to have only good memories of her time on the show. Ultimately, 7th Heaven led Kunis to score her breakout role, as Jackie in That ’70s Show.
