Actor Ashton Kutcher has come to the defense of an Uber executive who had caused a firestorm by suggesting that the car service company fork out $1 million to investigate journalists’ private lives.
Kutcher, who is an investor in the app-based tech firm, sent out a message on Twitter indicating his support for Vice President Emil Michael while appearing to say that journalist Sarah Lacy, who has criticized Uber, is "shady."
"What is so wrong about digging up dirt on shady journalist?" wrote Kutcher in a series of tweets, in which he attempted to make it clear that he was speaking for himself and not Uber,
according to MailOnline.
In another message, the "Two and a Half Men" star wrote, "So as long as journalist [sic] are interested and willing to print half truths as facts…Yes, we should question the source."
He also tweeted, "This should be fun... Here comes the part where journalist [sic] explain why they should be exempt from ridicule and judgment and probing."
The actor, who starred in the 2013 film "Jobs" playing the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, appears to be referring to the alleged intrusion into celebrities’ lives by the media.
Last week, Michael, speaking at a supposedly private dinner in New York City, suggested creating an eight-man team costing a $1 million to delve into writers' "personal lives" and "families" so that Uber could discredit them, according to MailOnline.
The scheme was apparently targeting Lacy, the editor of Silicon Valley’s PandoDaily, who had taken the company to task for its alleged "sexism and misogyny."
The remarks were met with outrage when they were revealed, and led to Michael making a public apology to Lacy, in which he said his comments "did not reflect my actual views and have no relation to the company’s views or approach."
Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has also condemned Michael’s comments, saying they were "terrible and do not represent the company."
According to The Hill, Uber has come under attack for poor pay for the company’s contracted taxi drivers as well as for reports that women are abused or kidnapped during their trips, while the firm also allegedly has employed harsh tactics against rival Lyft.