Ashton Kutcher Has A Twin Brother & He Says 'Jealousy' Got Between The Two Of Them

Who is Ashton Kutcher's twin?

Not only is Michael Kutcher Ashton Kutcher's twin brother, but he's also a very accomplished advocate for people with disabilities.

Michael is a public speaker, spokesperson and businessman for cerebral palsy.

Both Kutchers were born on February 7, 1978. They also have an older sister named Tausha.

What illness does Michael Kutcher have?

Michael Kutcher was born with cerebral palsy, which is a disorder that causes abnormal development due to damage to the brain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It causes issues with motor disabilities, and people with the illness have a far shorter life expectancy.

Micheal shares his experience on his website , where he talks about being born significantly smaller than his twin Ashton, at less than 5 pounds.

At birth, he struggled with taking his first breath, and by the time he was three, he was suffering from developmental delays, eventually being diagnosed with cerebral palsy before entering Kindergarten.

How did it impact the two brothers' relationship?

The two brothers recently opened up about how their differences, particularly regarding their health, created a rift despite the inseparable bond of being twin brothers.

During an intimate interview on the Paramount+ series The Checkup with Dr. David Agus , the Kutcher brothers covered topics ranging from their health to lifestyles and how it all got in the way of their relationship.

They even opened up about the time Michael had to receive a heart transplant at the age of 13 after contracting myocarditis which caused his heart to enlarge and fail.

"I go in the room, and I'm like, 'Whoa,'" said Ashton Kutcher as he held back tears. "I'm like…' Everything is not OK.' And he flatlines in the room, and I know that noise because now I've been visiting occasionally."

Luckily, Michael was able to score a donor heart within 24 hours, saving his life, as per reports by CNN .

"For my brother…to be born with cerebral palsy, then have a heart transplant, then have this random blood clot, these things that you're just like, 'Who has to go through that?'" Ashton says in the interview.

Michael admitted that their relationship was strained for years, mainly due to his jealousy towards his successful and much healthier twin brother.

It started when Ashton became "a household name."

"There was a moment when I viewed him as receiving more attention than I was," Michael said. "That kind of drove me down to a place where I was jealous."

Things got a lot worse when Ashton opened up about his brother's health problems in public without obtaining Michael's consent.

Ashton wasn't aware of Michael's desire to keep things a secret, so when he publicized it, it caused an even bigger rift between the two brothers.

How did Michael and Ashton Kutcher fix their relationship?

Eventually, Michael says he learned to put his brother's fame aside and work on the relationship instead.

"Once I took all of the fame and everything out of it, I was able to just, you know, come back to him," Michael shared with Dr. Agus.

Ashton added that once he learned not to see his brother differently or bring attention to his illness, they were able to mend their relationship.

"He looked at me, and he said, 'Every time you feel sorry for me, you make me less,'" Ashton said. "He said, 'This is the only life I've ever known, so stop feeling sorry for the only thing I have.' And that then created an entire shift back to where I think we are today, which is straight up equals again."

What illness does Ashton Kutcher have?

Michael is not the only brother that struggle with a life-altering illness.

It was recently discovered that Kutcher suffers from the autoimmune disease vasculitis.

During an exclusive interview with Access Online , Ashton opened up about his diagnosis and how the illness affected his life.

"Two years ago, I had this weird, super rare form of vasculitis that knocked out my vision, it knocked out my hearing, it knocked out like all my equilibrium," Ashton said in the interview.

"You don't really appreciate it until it's gone. Until you go, 'I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to see again, I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to hear again, I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to walk again'."

The That '70s Show actor confessed that he was "lucky to be alive."