Ashton Kutcher's twin Michael told actor not to pity his cerebral palsy, says 'jealousy' drove them apart

Ashton Kutcher and his twin brother Michael are opening up about the "jealousy" that caused a rift in their relationship.

Kutcher, who launched to fame in his twenties in the sitcom "That '70's Show," got candid with his brother during their appearance on the upcoming Paramount+ show "The Checkup With Dr. David Agus," revealing that his brother's health challenges made him wonder, "How do I get to be this lucky?"

"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?' " Kutcher, 44, said in a clip from the interview published by Entertainment Tonight on Monday.

Kutcher also revealed what helped him and his brother mend their strained relationship.

The actor revisited an exchange that happened while his brother visited him in New York as he was "starting to get some traction" in his entertainment career.

"He looked at me, and he said, ‘Every time you feel sorry for me, you make me less,' " Kutcher 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. That’s it."

When asked why they drifted apart, Michael replied: "Jealousy, at least on my part."

Last year, Michael opened up about the anger he felt when his actor brother revealed his cerebral palsy diagnosis to the world in a 2003 interview.

According to Mayo Clinic, cerebral palsy is a disorder that affects "movement and muscle tone or posture." Michael was diagnosed at the age of 3 and told Today in May 2021 that he attempted to hide it for most of his life.

Ashton Kutcher's twin Michael says he was 'very angry' when actor revealed brother's cerebral palsy

"I was very angry. Very angry. I remember speaking to him about it,” Michael said. "I didn’t want to be the face of CP. I never talked about it."

Michael added he's no longer upset with his brother, whom he refers to by his real name Chris, and is actually grateful for that interview 18 years ago.

"Chris did me the biggest favor he’s ever done because he allowed me to be myself," Michael said.

He also reflected on how Kutcher used to defend him against bullies after he was "called every name in the book on the playground."

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“My brother picked a fight with them. He stood up for me. He wanted them to treat me with respect,” Michael said. "And that meant a lot."

The "Punk'd" creator would also ensure his brother would be invited to any sleepover he went to.

"Most of the time they’d say yes, but sometimes they’d say no and Chris would go, ‘Well, then I’m not coming,’ " Michael said. "Chris would tell me, 'I wish I could take all of this off of you — and take it myself.' "

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Contributing: Rasha Ali

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ashton Kutcher's twin Michael confesses 'jealousy' drove them apart