20 Surprising Facts about Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis: From TV Stars to Hollywood’s Power Couple

20 Surprising Facts about Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis: From TV Stars to Hollywood’s Power Couple

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis seem like one of Hollywood’s most down-to-earth celebrity couples, but their story contains some fascinating surprises. I originally knew them as Kelso and Jackie from That 70’s Show, having no idea that twenty years later they would not only be married but also highly successful actors, producers, and investors. When researching them more recently, I uncovered so many unexpected facts, like how Mila was Kutcher’s first kiss on the show despite being so much younger than him. Additionally, how they reconnected years later through fateful encounters like a house party organized by Kutcher’s cousin.

Even once they started dating and eventually married, they decided to keep things extremely private and low-key compared to most celebrity relationships. For example, they married in a tiny ceremony nobody knew about! As I kept digging further for interesting facts about their careers, investments, parenting styles, and more, I uncovered twenty in total that gave me a whole new appreciation for Ashton and Mila as both a couple and as individuals. They’ve each had such unique, bumpy paths through life and Hollywood that led them to find an unlikely perfect match in one another.

The following are twenty facts about Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis that you should know:

1. Ashton and Mila Admitted publicly that they Began as Friends with Benefits

David Shankbone, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

After reconnecting years later at an awards show after That ’70s Show ended, Ashton and Mila began casually hooking up without any expectations of commitment. They enjoyed spending time together when their busy schedules allowed it but kept it very casual. Both admitted later that they never saw it going past a friendship with intimacy at first. As Mila put it candidly, “We both were like, ‘Let’s just hook up. Let’s have fun. We’re both single. We both trust each other. Everything’s great.’” Little did they know these meetups would turn into undeniable chemistry, deep friendship, and eventual life partnership that neither initially predicted.

2. Their First Encounter was Awful 

Ashton and Mila later admitted that they couldn’t stand each other backstage when they portrayed Kelso and Jackie on That ’70s Show years earlier. Teenage Mila seemed arrogant and conceited to the older Ashton, considering their eight-year age difference. She considered him to be a frat boy type in the interim. Off-set during the run of the show, they had no chemistry, even though they behaved professionally on camera. Considering how different their levels of maturity were, it’s ironic that despite being one of the cutest couples on TV at the time, they held such contempt for one another. When it came to becoming husband and wife, neither of them ever imagined they would grow to be such close friends.

3. Mila’s First Ever Kiss was with Ashton

Jenn Deering Davis, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Despite not getting along off-camera, Ashton ended up being fourteen-year-old Mila’s very first kiss when their show, That ’70s Show characters locked lips. She admitted being nervous and uncomfortable about it, given their age difference and interpersonal friction at the time. So when the director finally called ‘action.’ Ashton went beyond the script and licked his hand before putting it on Mila’s face during the kiss in an attempt to get an amusing reaction out of her. As you can imagine, Mila was shocked and freaked out, running off set afterward.

4. They Went through Friendship Struggles including Complete Friendship Breakups

Before Ashton and Mila dated, they had gone through periods of not speaking at all, despite being friends. When they reconnected as single adults, both confessed they had experienced full “friendship breakups” previously where communication completely ceased for months at a time. It seems distance, separate relationships, or busy work schedules got in the way of maintaining the friendship. Thankfully, when they were both in relationships, the timing was finally right, leading them to hang out at a house party Ashton’s cousin was hosting. The sparks between them quickly reignited a closeness that turned romantic.

5. Their Honeymoon Trip Didn’t Go as they had Hoped 

Ashton and Mila were excited to begin their honeymoon in the Caribbean following their nuptials. But what was meant to be a peaceful, romantic vacation turned tragic in an unanticipated way. Mila had a bad case of altitude sickness only three days after coming. She couldn’t leave their room for days because she was so sick, lightheaded, and queasy. Not exactly the passionate celebration with their partner they had imagined, Ashton spent the majority of the honeymoon alone tending to his ailing bride. Fortunately, the pair made up for lost time by taking a ton of incredible trips in the years after they were well again!

6. Ashton Planned a Setup to Test Mila’s Loyalty

JD Lasica from Pleasanton, CA, US, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

In the early stages, when Ashton and Mila reconnected as friends, Ashton was oblivious to any chemistry brewing between them. At one point, he tried setting her up on a date with an architect friend he thought she might hit it off with! When Mila told Ashton the set-up plans made her uncomfortable and she politely declined, he was taken aback. Something suddenly clicked for him and made Ashton see Mila in a whole new romantic light from then on. Playing an inadvertent matchmaker for the woman who would later become his wife was the wake-up call Ashton needed to realize Mila was “the one” all along. Talk about an awkward realization!

7. Ashton Showed His Love For Kunis when he Surprised her on a Show

Mila received an unexpected mid-interview surprise from her new beau when she was a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres show back when she and Ashton first started dating. Abruptly, with his signature silly grin on his face, Ashton emerged from backstage carrying a bouquet of roses. Surprised to be caught off guard on live television, Mila lit up with delight and embarrassment. Ashton gushed about how amazing Mila was as he gave his lady the romantic gesture. For all the fans who were still getting to know them as an unexpected celebrity couple, the unplanned moment demonstrated their natural chemistry. Ashton gained a lot of points with Mila, according to her later comments, for that heartfelt public show of affection.

8. Ashton’s Struggle with Smoking Presented a Surprising Request From Mila

Undoubtedly, this is among the list’s more strange facts! In an attempt to stop smoking, Ashton would occasionally indulge in social drinking when he first started dating Mila. During a party one evening, Ashton was asked to “shotgun” something by Mila, who never smoked. This involved Ashton taking a drag from his cigarette and blowing the smoke into Mila’s open mouth. It seems she was interested in the sensation of breathing in smoke. I thought she was kidding, but Ashton was so taken aback by her unusual request. They shotgun-smoked as desired after Mila told him she was dead serious. Mila was a keeper with an unpredictable wild side, and Ashton would later use this crazy moment early on as evidence.

9. Ashton Recorded an Amazing Red Carpet Message

https://www.flickr.com/photos/hayesandjenn/, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Even though Ashton wasn’t there when Mila walked the red carpet for an awards show, he still desired to be a part of the memorable evening. With the knowledge that she would be questioned by journalists all night to wish her husband a happy birthday, Ashton made a heartfelt video greeting that she could play for them. Mila proudly took out her phone and shared the heartfelt video in which Ashton extolled the virtues of his beautiful and talented wife in response to the first interviewer’s question about whether she had anything to say to her husband. The interviewer was ecstatic, and even though her husband wasn’t there, Mila radiated admiration for him. They both treasured the small but romantic gesture that it was.

10. They Foreshadowed their Future Life through Movies

In an amusing case of life imitating art, Ashton and Mila later ended up starring in movies with storylines that strangely echoed events from their relationship. In the film Jobs, Ashton played Apple founder Steve Jobs who eventually marries a woman named Laurene Powell – the real name of his future wife Mila! Meanwhile, Mila appeared in Friends with Benefits, aptly foreshadowing her early dynamic with Ashton when they were intimate with no commitment at first. The parallels were coincidental but funny in retrospect. The couple joked that maybe it was the universe dropping hints about their chemistry before they recognized it themselves. Either way, they found the coincidences hilarious once together.

11. They Immediately Moved in together as soon as they became Friends with Benefits

Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Many were taken aback when Ashton and Mila abruptly transitioned from being in casual relationships to committed ones, seemingly in an instant. But after spending years together platonically, they quickly realized that starting a family together felt right after intimacy was introduced. After returning from a trip overseas that sparked their romantic transformation, Mila moved into Ashton’s Los Angeles home a few months later. Their willingness to blend in so well was unusual for two fiercely independent people with demanding careers. Moving quickly just feels natural, though, as Mila reasoned, when you already know nearly everything about a friend. She was correct; their chemistry quickly blossomed into an unbreakable connection.

12. The Couple have an astonishing Bathroom Policy

Their willingness to use the restroom with the door open in front of each other is one of the most unexpected relationship facts about this straightforward couple! Mila revealed in an interview that they’ve had an open bathroom door policy since they moved in together. She clarified that they felt no need to maintain any sense of privacy or secrecy as a couple after years of platonic friendship. Although some may find this arrangement unlovely or excessively intimate, Mila says it just emphasizes the deep sense of security, comfort, and ease they have always felt around each other—whether they are getting ready for a date night or are simply brushing their teeth before bed.

13. Did you know that Ashton and Kunis do not bathe their Children every day?

Ashton and Mila have received some raised eyebrows due to their attitude about bathing their two young children, Wyatt and Dimitri. They confessed to seldom washing their kids with soap and water unless they “see dirt on them”, believing too much cleansing can dry out the skin. This revelation surprised many parents who see daily baths as essential. But Ashton contends they prioritize calming winding-down rituals with the boys at bedtime over scheduled scrubbing sessions. While their hygiene approach is more relaxed than most, the couple insists sufficient cleansing still happens through regular activities like swimming or playing outside. At the end of the day, they make no apologies for their bathing priorities aligning more with their kids’ comfort than societal standards.

14. They Live by the Code ‘Say the Truth and the Truth Shall Set You Free’

Blumhouse, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ashton and Mila’s marriage is humorous because they can never successfully lie to one another about anything, no matter how little. They both acknowledge that they “just know each other too well” after years of close friendship. Even in innocent situations, there’s no use in trying to twist the truth because people will always spot inconsistencies right away. Whether one tries to hide a clothing purchase or lies about what they had for lunch, the other can quickly detect the fabrication by looking for small cues in the other’s actions or manner. The couple takes great pride in their extreme candor, which they believe demonstrates the depth of understanding and vulnerability in their relationship.

15. Ashton Helped Kunis to do Her Homework on the ‘That ‘70s Show’

Back when they initially starred together on That ’70s Show, Ashton ended up serving as an academic tutor to his teenage co-star from time to time. Still enrolled in high school during filming, Mila would occasionally ask the older Ashton for help when she needed to complete homework between takes. Amusingly, she later revealed the subjects he assisted with most were math and chemistry – topics that foreshadowed their future chemistry blossoming years later! Though he was just being friendly back then, Mila remembers being impressed by how smart and hardworking Ashton was on set, cultivating her deep respect for him. Little did either guess that he’d eventually become both lover and lifelong mentor.

16. The Power Couple Began Attending Sporting Events Together to Show their Love

Though extremely private about their personal life, Ashton and Mila have occasionally offered glimpses into their world by attending high-profile sporting events over the years. Public sightings have shown the pair affectionately cheering side-by-side at games like the World Series and NBA playoffs – common date destinations for Americans but more unusual for celebrities seeking low-key romance. However, the sports franchise ownership aspirations Ashton once voiced suggest these outings offer both entertainment and business motivation. And for Mila, any excuse to flaunt pride for her “ride or die” partner suits her devotion perfectly fine.

17. They Displayed their Skills and Competitiveness in the Ping Pong Tournament

Sgt. Matthew Britton, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A 2021 ping pong tournament sponsored by an outdoor gear brand gave Ashton and Mila the chance to pit their skills against one another. Fireball serves, diving volleys and plenty of trash talk were used by the well-known duo to rally back and forth. In contrast to Ashton, who was a more experienced player, Mila played a very strong match. That day, Mila emerged victorious in the fierce table tennis match, but he wasn’t the only one who felt energized by it. Not only did this silly outing give them some rare public quality time together, but it also revealed more about the flaming spark that lies beneath their playful relationship and highlighted how similar they are when it comes to detecting and missing out on life.

18. Ashton Narrated the first time he Confessed his Love for Kunis

A few years into dating, Ashton recounted the moment he first uttered those meaningful three words to Mila on her birthday. After giving her presents, Mila protested she didn’t need gifts because she had everything she wanted already – him. Ashton responded emotionally that he loved her, which immediately made Mila cry. As Ashton tells it, the heartfelt exchange was the perfect combination of sweet relief and joy as they both knew the depth of their commitment.

19. The Couple Tied the Knot in a Private and Confidential Wedding

Image by Tú Anh from Pixabay

When Ashton and Mila got engaged at the beginning of 2014, they decided against having a big, public wedding in favor of a very intimate ceremony that took place at their Los Angeles home a few months later. The unconventional couple got married over the Fourth of July weekend that year, with only their families in attendance as guests. Weeks after the fact, they made it public, much to the surprise and disappointment of their fans who felt left out of the excitement surrounding a celebrity wedding! To stay true to their iconoclastic nature, the shy couple preferred to celebrate their lifetime partnership quietly and without attention from the public. This unexpected elopement was the ideal beginning to their marriage on their unique terms, coming full circle from being soulmates on TV to creating an unbreakable bond in real life.

20. They Played as a Couple in Movies including the Movie ‘Annie’

Adding to the entertainment of their many joint acting projects is Ashton and Mila’s appearance as an on-screen couple in the 2014 film adaptation of Annie. Though not the story’s central romance, the movie has a subplot about a fictional film being made about FDR and his wife Eleanor. Ashton and Mila gleefully took on playing the caricatured actors starring as FDR and Eleanor, delving into an exaggerated courtship for the silly movie-within-a-movie scenes. Years into their real relationship at that point, being able to publicly spoof smooching on camera must have been an absolute blast for the fun-loving, down-to-earth pair that everyone by then knew were an item off screen too.

After learning these twenty fascinating tidbits, I have so much more respect for Ashton and Mila’s partnership. Their relationship shows that you can find love and success in Hollywood on your terms. I’m excited to see what other surprises this down-to-earth power couple has in store in the years to come.