Ashton Kutcher Says He Was Fired From a Gucci Campaign for Being “Too Fat”

Ashton Kutcher may have been one of the biggest heartthrobs of the early 2000s, but the actor says his path to fame included a surprising setback.

While speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Kutcher revealed that he was once fired from a modeling campaign for Gucci early in his career. According to Kutcher, he had landed an exclusive campaign and even flew to Italy for the shoot. However, things took an unexpected turn once he arrived on set.

Kutcher said that after putting on a pink Speedo for the shoot, Gucci’s then–creative director, Tom Ford, told him he was “too fat” and removed him from the campaign. At the time, Kutcher said he weighed about 178 pounds and was only around 19 years old.

Despite the blunt dismissal, Kutcher said he did not take the comment personally. He explained that Ford had a very specific vision and knew exactly what he wanted to see for the campaign. Looking back, Kutcher said he and Ford were later able to laugh about the incident.

The moment likely took place in 1997 or 1998, just before Kutcher’s life changed dramatically. Around the same time, he landed his breakout role on That '70s Show, which premiered in 1998 and quickly turned him into a household name.

In the end, Kutcher seems to have gotten the last laugh. While his modeling career hit an early roadblock, his success in television and film went on to far outweigh that brief rejection, proving that one setback doesn’t define a career.