Ashton Kutcher Sheds Tears Talking about Twin Brother with Cerebral Palsy — He Fought off Street Bullies for Him

• Ashton Kutcher grew up with his twin brother.

• He wanted to donate his heart to his twin.

• The actor often defended his brother from bullies.

Ashton Kutcher is famous for his role as Michael Kelso in the hit series "That 70s Show and is a successful actor now, but growing up held a series of brutal challenges he had to overcome. When he was young, the actor often worried about the well-being of his twin brother, Michael Kutcher.

The two boys were born five minutes apart on February 7, 1978. Their parents Diane and Larry Kutcher had no idea they were expecting twins, and Michael's birth caught them off-guard. The youngest of the Kutcher twins was also severely underweight when he was born, and his lungs were underdeveloped.

By the time Michael was three, his mother had realized he wasn't developing at the same rate as his twin brother, Ashton, and she became concerned. She took him to a slew of doctors, and after they got a number of professional opinions, Michael was officially diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

The actor admitted in an interview that his brother had the condition, and Michael was furious at first.

On top of that, the boy was later diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a heart disease that required him to have a heart transplant. When Michael was 13, he contracted myocarditis and flatlined in the hospital. Ashton broke out in tears and he later admitted he considered jumping off the balcony so his brother could have his heart.

Despite the countless obstacles, Michael grew up to be an influential figure and an inspiration to many others with his condition. Ashton was proud of the person his brother had become, admiring Michael's tenacity and love for others.

Ashton Fought off Bullies for His Brother

Growing up with cerebral palsy came with an enormous amount of related problems, the least of which was other people's reactions to the illness. Michael stood out among his peers, with his glasses making his condition obvious. Consequently, he was often teased and bullied by other children in his school. He shared:

"I had all of the stereotypes that come with having a disability. I was called every name in the book on the playground. I had difficulty making friends. But I had Chris there to help me and support me."

Throughout their childhood, Ashton always stood up for his younger twin. Whenever children called Michael hurtful names or bullied him, the actor picked fights with them and insisted they treat Michael with more respect. He even refused to go to sleepovers unless his brother could join him.

Later in life, Ashton encouraged his brother to provide hope for others with cerebral palsy. When the actor admitted in an interview that his brother had the condition, Michael was furious at first. He explained that he never wanted to be an advocate for others with his condition, and he tried his best to hide it.

Luckily, the two eventually came together to deal with the divide that had formed between them.

Eventually, the mother of a little girl with cerebral palsy contacted Michael, and they met up for a cup of coffee. She wanted him to speak out about the illness, and she introduced him to her daughter. After the meeting, Michael realized he had an excellent opportunity to give others like him hope.

He used his twin's fame to his advantage and began spreading awareness about his illness. Slowly, he had a positive effect on people with the same disease, and he gained confidence in himself in the process. In the end, he admitted his brother had done him a tremendous favor by allowing him to be more open about his illness.

First Interview with the Twin Brothers

Michael and Ashton's relationship became strained as they grew older. As Ashton became a highly successful actor, his brother felt left behind. Micheal admitted his brother's success made him feel inferior and sowed seeds of jealousy, which caused to them to drift apart for a while. He said:

"There was a moment where I viewed him as receiving more attention than I was, and that kind of drove me down to a place where I was jealous ... He goes off to do immense things, becomes a household name. It really affected me in terms of my own self-worth."

Luckily, the two eventually came together to deal with the divide that had formed between them. Once they started talking, Michael realized his brother was the same person he had always known, and they made amends.

The two opened up about their relationship on "The Checkup with Dr. David Ages," and Ashton admitted that his fame played a role in the schism between them. The actor acknowledged that he had developed an ego when he became famous, and he had to do some introspection to stay grounded:

"I also had my hang ups, like when I first started to experience success on a very large level, it goes to your head."

With the help of his brother, Ashton managed to stay humble about his success, and the two noted that they could look at each other as equals once more.

Thanks to their close bond, Michael became the spokesperson for the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. While Ashton starred in several hit comedy shows, his brother worked to help people with all kinds of disabilities. He partnered with the app Joshin, which aims to provide professional caregivers to people with special needs.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "help" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.