Michael Kutcher didn’t want his brother Ashton Kutcher to reveal he has cerebral palsy — and was angry when his famous sibling did.
“I was very angry. Very angry. I remember speaking to him about it,” Michael, now 43, toldTodayParentson Thursday. “I didn’t want to be the face of CP. I never talked about it.”
In the end, it’s helped change Michael’s life for the better, and he’s no longer angry with Ashton, who he and his family call Chris (his first name).
“Chris did me the biggest favor he’s ever done because he allowed me to be myself,” Michael, who was diagnosed cerebral palsy when he was three, explained.
“My brother’s daily actions remind me that life isn’t about running around challenges — it’s about running through them,” Ashton toldToday. “Mike has a relentless work ethic and a deep compassion for others.”
Adam Bettcher/Getty
In the interview, Michael also talked about growing up being bullied for his disorder and how Ashton would often stand up for him, like the time a group of kids started calling Michael the “R” word when they were out biking.
“My brother picked a fight with them. He stood up for me. He wanted them to treat me with respect,” Michael recalled. “And that meant a lot.”
Want to get the biggest stories fromPEOPLEevery weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast,PEOPLE Every Day,to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.
Ashton would also refuse to attend sleepovers with friends if they didn’t also invite Michael.
“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.”
Michael, who’s married and a father to three, is a spokesperson for the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. He is also an advisor atJoshin, an app that helps families find care for a person with disabilities, no matter their age.
source: people.com
