Ashton Kutcher’s twin brother Michael said he ‘was very angry’ when brother publicly revealed his battle with cerebral palsy
- Ashton revealed his brother’s health battle in 2003
- Michael said he was upset and recalled ‘speaking to him about it’
- He now feels it was ‘the biggest favor he’s ever done’ him
- Michael was diagnosed with CP at the age of three
Ashton Kutcher’s twin brother Michael says he ‘was very angry’ when brother first publicly revealed his battle with cerebral palsy.
‘I didn’t want to be the face of CP,’ Michael told TODAY. ‘I never talked about it.’
Michael said at the time of his brother’s reveal in 2003, he confronted the actor about publicizing his disorder, which he’d tried to conceal prior to such.
The latest: Ashton Kutcher’s twin brother Michael says he ‘was very angry’ when brother publicly revealed his battle with cerebral palsy. The brothers posed at a 2013 benefit in St. Paul, Minnesota
‘I was very angry,’ he said. ‘Very angry. I remember speaking to him about it.’
Michael, who is a representative for the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, said that in time, he’s become grateful to his famous sibling, calling it ‘the biggest favor he’s ever done because he allowed me to be myself.’
He said, ‘I love who I am. I love the impact I’ve been able to make, the people I’ve been able to touch. And I wouldn’t have been able to do that If I didn’t have these obstacles, or as I like to call them – an opportunity.’
In the chat, Michael recalled the symptoms leading to his diagnosis at the age of three.
Happy: Michael, who is a representative for the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, posed on Instagram in February
Twins: Michael said at the time of his brother’s reveal in 2003, he confronted the actor about publicizing his disorder, which he’d tried to conceal prior to such.
Hollywood royalty: Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher appeared on The Tonight Show in May of 2020
‘My mom noticed I was having developmental difficulties and not advancing like my twin was,’ he said. ‘So she began taken me to doctors.’
Michael opened up about his upbringing, and how his brother was there to defend him against bullies.
‘I had all of the stereotypes that come with having a disability,’ he said. ‘I was called every name in the book on the playground. I had difficulty making friends. But I had [Ashton] there to help me and support me.’
He said in one instance, he and Ashton were riding bicycles when confronted by a group of name-calling bullies.
‘My brother picked a fight with them,’ he said. ‘He stood up for me. He wanted them to treat me with respect. And that meant a lot.’
He said his brother would tell him, ‘I wish I could take all of this off of you – and take it myself.’
Michael said that he was encouraged to emerge forward about his journey after he was asked to talk at a gala by a woman who ‘had her 5-year-old daughter with her’ named Bella, recalling, ‘Her cerebral palsy was quite severe and she couldn’t talk.’
Michael, who also works with an app called Joshin, added: ‘I realized I needed to let go of the shame I felt and be a champion for people like Bella,’ he said. ‘I was finally ready to tell my story and I knew because of my twin, I’d have a big reach.’
In a statement to the outlet, Ashton praised his brother for his efforts to help people, saying, ‘My brother’s daily actions remind me that life isn’t about running around challenges – it’s about running through them. Mike has a relentless work ethic and a deep compassion for others.’