This future star had a difficult upbringing because of her mother, who traded her for a few hundred bucks and was a chronic drinker. She overcame everything, had a successful profession, and is now a mother of three daughters.
Some Historical Details Regarding the Actress
Demi Gene Guynes is her birth name, and she was born on November 11, 1962. After just two months of marriage, her mother Virginia King was abandoned by her birth father, Air Force Airman Charles Harmon Sr.
Her parents had split up by the time this future celebrity was born. Her mother remarried Dan Guynes, a newspaper advertising salesperson, when she was three months old. Their frequent employment changes caused them to have to move multiple times, as her stepfather did.
She had two eye surgeries at the age of twelve to treat severe strabismus. She also experienced kidney disease, and when she was thirteen, she learned the truth about her biological father. She moved in with her grandma while still a teenager, leaving her mother behind.
Before enrolling in acting school, Demi Moore joined with the Elite Modeling Agency and enrolled at Fairfax High School, which she left in her junior year. She married musician Freddy Moore in 1981, adopting his last name for the duration of her successful creative career, which coincided, fortunately, with her breakthrough year.
https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-3764810839868565&output=html&h=183&slotname=8851483697&adk=2185628257&adf=3113699199&pi=t.ma~as.8851483697&w=730&abgtt=6&fwrn=4&lmt=1724518405&rafmt=11&format=730×183&url=https%3A%2F%2Favokaddo.com%2F2024%2F07%2F23%2Fthis-girl-was-traded-to-an-older-man-for-money-as-a-child-now-shes-a-famous-actress-who-managed-to-reconcile-with-her-3-daughters%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwY2xjawE27ghleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHbRKjYtXHHWciWNEewLmVjCWuPa3ELmydzgkhQkN4UUtWdRMWbcHWs3jTg_aem_AlHz2WcxCOCdeDdSv45-4A&wgl=1&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTEyLjAuNTE5Ny4xMDAiLG51bGwsMCxudWxsLCI2NCIsW1siTm90L0EpQnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjEyNi4wLjY0NzguMjI2Il0sWyJPcGVyYSBHWCIsIjExMi4wLjUxOTcuMTAwIl1dLDBd&dt=1724518074566&bpp=1&bdt=656&idt=93&shv=r20240821&mjsv=m202408150101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Dcf59a1ce51a438cf%3AT%3D1723566560%3ART%3D1724518346%3AS%3DALNI_MYJaJOB3bsPSunIOMN7MD4c8CDm-Q&eo_id_str=ID%3D0cc428cd87fc972c%3AT%3D1723566560%3ART%3D1724518346%3AS%3DAA-AfjYewfrC42NEkEIcSuBseT-j&prev_fmts=0x0%2C1100x280%2C730x183&nras=1&correlator=4001402162284&frm=20&pv=1&rplot=4&u_tz=420&u_his=1&u_h=864&u_w=1536&u_ah=864&u_aw=1536&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.25&dmc=8&adx=190&ady=3000&biw=1481&bih=759&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=44759876%2C44759927%2C44759837%2C95331688%2C95334830%2C95338229&oid=2&pvsid=1866254071364301&tmod=680152722&uas=0&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fl.facebook.com%2F&fc=1920&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1536%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1495%2C759&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7CopeEbr%7C&abl=CS&pfx=0&fu=128&bc=31&bz=0&psd=W251bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLDNd&nt=1&ifi=4&uci=a!4&btvi=2&fsb=1&dtd=M
She started acting in 1981, first in “General Hospital” and then in the movie “Choices.” After that, she acted in films such “No Small Affair” and “Blame It on Rio” from 1984. She began to gain notoriety in 1985 after starring in “St. Elmo’s Fire.”
https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-3764810839868565&output=html&h=183&slotname=3197500636&adk=141735219&adf=3534552834&pi=t.ma~as.3197500636&w=730&abgtt=6&fwrn=4&lmt=1724518405&rafmt=11&format=730×183&url=https%3A%2F%2Favokaddo.com%2F2024%2F07%2F23%2Fthis-girl-was-traded-to-an-older-man-for-money-as-a-child-now-shes-a-famous-actress-who-managed-to-reconcile-with-her-3-daughters%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwY2xjawE27ghleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHbRKjYtXHHWciWNEewLmVjCWuPa3ELmydzgkhQkN4UUtWdRMWbcHWs3jTg_aem_AlHz2WcxCOCdeDdSv45-4A&wgl=1&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTEyLjAuNTE5Ny4xMDAiLG51bGwsMCxudWxsLCI2NCIsW1siTm90L0EpQnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjEyNi4wLjY0NzguMjI2Il0sWyJPcGVyYSBHWCIsIjExMi4wLjUxOTcuMTAwIl1dLDBd&dt=1724518074567&bpp=1&bdt=658&idt=93&shv=r20240821&mjsv=m202408150101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Dcf59a1ce51a438cf%3AT%3D1723566560%3ART%3D1724518346%3AS%3DALNI_MYJaJOB3bsPSunIOMN7MD4c8CDm-Q&eo_id_str=ID%3D0cc428cd87fc972c%3AT%3D1723566560%3ART%3D1724518346%3AS%3DAA-AfjYewfrC42NEkEIcSuBseT-j&prev_fmts=0x0%2C1100x280%2C730x183%2C730x183&nras=1&correlator=4001402162284&frm=20&pv=1&rplot=4&u_tz=420&u_his=1&u_h=864&u_w=1536&u_ah=864&u_aw=1536&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.25&dmc=8&adx=190&ady=2950&biw=1481&bih=759&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=44759876%2C44759927%2C44759837%2C95331688%2C95334830%2C95338229&oid=2&pvsid=1866254071364301&tmod=680152722&uas=0&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fl.facebook.com%2F&fc=1920&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1536%2C0%2C1536%2C864%2C1495%2C759&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7CopeEbr%7C&abl=CS&pfx=0&fu=128&bc=31&bz=1.03&psd=W251bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLDNd&nt=1&ifi=5&uci=a!5&btvi=3&fsb=1&dtd=M
With “About Last Night,” Demi experienced a favorable career turning point the following year. Jerry Zucker’s 1990 romantic fantasy thriller “Ghost” is her most popular film, nevertheless. With performances in “A Few Good Men,” “Indecent Proposal,” and “Disclosure,” the actress rose to the A-list.
She rose to the top of Hollywood’s pay scale in 1995 because to her performance in “Striptease.” She had a successful career, but her marriage to Freddy was short-lived—it lasted barely five years.
She rose to the top of Hollywood’s pay scale in 1995 because to her performance in “Striptease.” She had a successful career, but her marriage to Freddy was short-lived—it lasted barely five years.
She wed Bruce Willis in 1987, and the two went on to become one of the most well-known pairs until their divorce in 2000. Tallulah Belle, Scout LaRue, and Rumer Glenn were the couple’s three offspring. In 2005, following her divorce from Bruce, she entered into her third marriage.
2013 saw the dissolution of the star’s marriage to Ashton Kutcher. Demi disclosed that she miscarried in the sixth month of her pregnancy, albeit she did not go on to have children with the younger actor.
On September 24, 2019, Demi released her candid autobiography. Her difficult upbringing, the challenges she overcame, and her resiliency were all detailed in the book “Inside Out.” One topic covered in her autobiography, which became an instant number-one New York Times bestseller, was her challenging upbringing.
The bond between Demi and her mother
The actress discussed her childhood in the book, revealing that her parents struggled with alcoholism and that she was reared in a home where there were arguments, infidelity, and frequent moves. Demi’s mother tried suicide when she was just 12 years old, and Demi had to save her from an overdose.
With her father holding her lips open, Demi had to remove the medications her mother had attempted to consume. That was only one of countless incidents like it. When she discovered her parents’ marriage license when she was thirteen, she came to the conclusion that Dan Guynes, the man she had known as her father, was not actually her biological father.
Her mother had lied to her when she had inquired if Dan was her father. Demi asked her Texas-based aunt when she was there, and eventually she invited her biological father to stay. Virginia never intended for her daughter to be aware of her biological father.
Demi realized that her mother had felt protective, but she also felt deceived by everyone but herself. Virginia took her out to clubs as a teenager, hoping that men would notice them. Her mother firing her at the age of fifteen was another extremely traumatic incident that permanently defined her adolescence. It is said that Virginia traded her to a friend who then sexually assaulted her.
https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-3764810839868565&output=html&h=280&adk=1442124134&adf=503033626&pi=t.aa~a.1381849204~i.38~rp.4&w=730&abgtt=6&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1724518417&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4013816440&ad_type=text_image&format=730×280&url=https%3A%2F%2Favokaddo.com%2F2024%2F07%2F23%2Fthis-girl-was-traded-to-an-older-man-for-money-as-a-child-now-shes-a-famous-actress-who-managed-to-reconcile-with-her-3-daughters%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwY2xjawE27ghleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHbRKjYtXHHWciWNEewLmVjCWuPa3ELmydzgkhQkN4UUtWdRMWbcHWs3jTg_aem_AlHz2WcxCOCdeDdSv45-4A&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=183&rw=730&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTEyLjAuNTE5Ny4xMDAiLG51bGwsMCxudWxsLCI2NCIsW1siTm90L0EpQnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjEyNi4wLjY0NzguMjI2Il0sWyJPcGVyYSBHWCIsIjExMi4wLjUxOTcuMTAwIl1dLDBd&dt=1724518075223&bpp=1&bdt=1313&idt=0&shv=r20240821&mjsv=m202408150101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Dcf59a1ce51a438cf%3AT%3D1723566560%3ART%3D1724518346%3AS%3DALNI_MYJaJOB3bsPSunIOMN7MD4c8CDm-Q&eo_id_str=ID%3D0cc428cd87fc972c%3AT%3D1723566560%3ART%3D1724518346%3AS%3DAA-AfjYewfrC42NEkEIcSuBseT-j&prev_fmts=0x0%2C1100x280%2C730x183%2C730x183%2C730x183&nras=2&correlator=4001402162284&frm=20&pv=1&u_tz=420&u_his=1&u_h=864&u_w=1536&u_ah=864&u_aw=1536&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.25&dmc=8&adx=190&ady=4143&biw=1481&bih=759&scr_x=0&scr_y=1114&eid=44759876%2C44759927%2C44759837%2C95331688%2C95334830%2C95338229&oid=2&pvsid=1866254071364301&tmod=680152722&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fl.facebook.com%2F&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1536%2C0%2C1536%2C864%2C1495%2C759&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&bz=1.03&psd=W251bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLDNd&nt=1&ifi=8&uci=a!8&btvi=4&fsb=1&dtd=M
https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-3764810839868565&output=html&h=183&slotname=2267562348&adk=1401803709&adf=503033626&pi=t.ma~as.2267562348&w=730&abgtt=6&fwrn=4&lmt=1724518417&rafmt=11&format=730×183&url=https%3A%2F%2Favokaddo.com%2F2024%2F07%2F23%2Fthis-girl-was-traded-to-an-older-man-for-money-as-a-child-now-shes-a-famous-actress-who-managed-to-reconcile-with-her-3-daughters%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwY2xjawE27ghleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHbRKjYtXHHWciWNEewLmVjCWuPa3ELmydzgkhQkN4UUtWdRMWbcHWs3jTg_aem_AlHz2WcxCOCdeDdSv45-4A&wgl=1&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTEyLjAuNTE5Ny4xMDAiLG51bGwsMCxudWxsLCI2NCIsW1siTm90L0EpQnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjEyNi4wLjY0NzguMjI2Il0sWyJPcGVyYSBHWCIsIjExMi4wLjUxOTcuMTAwIl1dLDBd&dt=1724518074567&bpp=1&bdt=657&idt=996&shv=r20240821&mjsv=m202408150101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Dcf59a1ce51a438cf%3AT%3D1723566560%3ART%3D1724518346%3AS%3DALNI_MYJaJOB3bsPSunIOMN7MD4c8CDm-Q&eo_id_str=ID%3D0cc428cd87fc972c%3AT%3D1723566560%3ART%3D1724518346%3AS%3DAA-AfjYewfrC42NEkEIcSuBseT-j&prev_fmts=0x0%2C1100x280%2C730x183%2C730x183%2C730x183%2C730x280&nras=2&correlator=4001402162284&frm=20&pv=1&rplot=4&u_tz=420&u_his=1&u_h=864&u_w=1536&u_ah=864&u_aw=1536&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.25&dmc=8&adx=190&ady=4436&biw=1481&bih=759&scr_x=0&scr_y=1400&eid=44759876%2C44759927%2C44759837%2C95331688%2C95334830%2C95338229&oid=2&pvsid=1866254071364301&tmod=680152722&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fl.facebook.com%2F&fc=1920&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1536%2C0%2C1536%2C864%2C1495%2C759&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7CopeEbr%7C&abl=CS&pfx=0&fu=128&bc=31&bz=1.03&psd=W251bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLDNd&nt=1&ifi=6&uci=a!6&btvi=5&fsb=1&dtd=M
The actress mentioned that the man disclosed the $500 he had provided her adolescent mother to be with her when she spoke with Diane Sawyer of “Good Morning America” about her memoir. She doesn’t think her mother sold her, despite the fact that it was a terrible experience.
She did, however, accuse her mother of placing her in danger and allowing a male to access her body. She was aware that Virginia was unable to keep her safe, though. Later on, Demi had children of her own and found it difficult to raise them well.
What Kind of Mother Did Demi Play?
Following the release of her book, Demi appeared on numerous TV shows where she discussed her difficult upbringing and bond with her mother. She recalled that she had taken up the role of caring for her mother following Dan and Virginia’s separation.
Because her mother was an alcoholic at the time, taking care of her was difficult. Demi’s stepfather, who was 37 at the time, killed himself two years after she and her mother split up. Only his suicide made Virginia’s alcoholism worse.
https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-3764810839868565&output=html&h=280&adk=1442124134&adf=1397666572&pi=t.aa~a.1381849204~i.49~rp.4&w=730&abgtt=6&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1724518420&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4013816440&ad_type=text_image&format=730×280&url=https%3A%2F%2Favokaddo.com%2F2024%2F07%2F23%2Fthis-girl-was-traded-to-an-older-man-for-money-as-a-child-now-shes-a-famous-actress-who-managed-to-reconcile-with-her-3-daughters%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwY2xjawE27ghleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHbRKjYtXHHWciWNEewLmVjCWuPa3ELmydzgkhQkN4UUtWdRMWbcHWs3jTg_aem_AlHz2WcxCOCdeDdSv45-4A&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=183&rw=730&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTEyLjAuNTE5Ny4xMDAiLG51bGwsMCxudWxsLCI2NCIsW1siTm90L0EpQnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjEyNi4wLjY0NzguMjI2Il0sWyJPcGVyYSBHWCIsIjExMi4wLjUxOTcuMTAwIl1dLDBd&dt=1724518075226&bpp=1&bdt=1316&idt=0&shv=r20240821&mjsv=m202408150101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Dcf59a1ce51a438cf%3AT%3D1723566560%3ART%3D1724518346%3AS%3DALNI_MYJaJOB3bsPSunIOMN7MD4c8CDm-Q&eo_id_str=ID%3D0cc428cd87fc972c%3AT%3D1723566560%3ART%3D1724518346%3AS%3DAA-AfjYewfrC42NEkEIcSuBseT-j&prev_fmts=0x0%2C1100x280%2C730x183%2C730x183%2C730x183%2C730x280%2C730x183&nras=3&correlator=4001402162284&frm=20&pv=1&u_tz=420&u_his=1&u_h=864&u_w=1536&u_ah=864&u_aw=1536&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.25&dmc=8&adx=190&ady=5766&biw=1481&bih=759&scr_x=0&scr_y=2765&eid=44759876%2C44759927%2C44759837%2C95331688%2C95334830%2C95338229&oid=2&pvsid=1866254071364301&tmod=680152722&uas=3&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fl.facebook.com%2F&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1536%2C0%2C1536%2C864%2C1495%2C759&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&bz=1.03&psd=W251bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLDNd&nt=1&ifi=9&uci=a!9&btvi=6&fsb=1&dtd=M
Demi severed her relationship with her mother in 1990 when she left a paid rehabilitation stay. But the actress made amends with Virginia prior to her 1998 cancer death.
Tallulah, the star’s daughter, also had a tense connection with her mother, similar to how the actress felt about her own mother. The difficult connection between Tallulah and Demi started after the actress was wed to Ashton.
The mother-daughter duo struggled to communicate with each other. Tallulah felt abandoned because the actress struggled with addiction and was reliant on Ashton.
Tallulah felt even more abandoned after Rumer and Scout moved out. She thought the actress had forgotten about her and had stopped loving her. Tallulah admitted that she hadn’t spoken to Demi in almost three years in a Mother’s Day 2020 Instagram post, and the occasion made it even more painful for her.
But Tallulah had “a metamorphosis of inward self-reflection,” and her capacity for forgiveness made their separation possible to end. Now that she and her well-known mother have made amends, Demi plays a vital role in her life.
She often pondered the kind of relationship she would have had with a 26-year-old Demi had they crossed paths back then. Tallulah assumed they would have laughed a lot, but she said that she now “revel[ed] in all that” her mother has taught and is teaching her.
“I see where you came from and what this day means for you.”
She affectionately ended her statement by praising her mother’s every flaw and saying that she loved the actress “eternally.” Demi had her kids look over the book’s draft and make suggestions, but none of them made any changes.
Scout expressed her pride in the actress for having at last done some introspection after spending so much time in survival mode. According to the star’s daughter, Demi’s memoir demonstrated how at ease and secure she is in her own skin.
Nonetheless, the book brought up some awkward memories for the three siblings, who have also battled with substance abuse and difficulties related to their bodies. Scout acknowledged that they were challenged by the book since their mother tried to share the most vulnerable aspects of her life, which also happened to be the most painful for their daughter.
The book provided Rumer with additional in-depth information about their mother’s past. She believed that while kids thought their parents were gods, as they got older, they realized they were simply regular humans.
Demi and her kids are closer than ever these days. Because of their intimacy, they were placed in quarantine together during the coronavirus outbreak. Bruce together with his spouse and kids were part of the family. They demonstrated their unity as a blended family in a statement from February 2023, when they supported Bruce in his battle against his 2022 aphasia diagnosis.
This Caribbean Island Is Back From the Brink—and Ready To Share Its Treasures With the World
Every product that appears on Condé Nast Traveler has been hand-picked by our editors. However, we might receive an affiliate commission if you make a purchase using one of our retail links.
The paintings of Italian-born artist Agostino Brunias, who made a profession of depicting the island in subdued, stylized settings that covered up the harsh realities of colonial control, were my first visual introduction to Dominica. However, as soon as I step onto its winding roads, which begin to twist shortly after I arrive, it becomes evident that this region, which is situated in the center of the Lesser Antilles’ curve, is anything but tame. The two-toned leaves of its bois canot trees, which change color from green to white when they sway in the wind, shimmer and bristle with the power of the volcano. It lulls with the erratic sound of its numerous waterfalls, scatters rainbows haphazardly across its breathtaking horizons, and enchants from the depths with its vibrant coral reefs. And it roars come storm season.
The indigenous Kalinago people of Dominica survived invasion by the French and British, who imposed slavery on the Africans who now make up four-fifths of the island’s population and left a linguistic legacy of English and French-based Creole, by mastering the lush tropical rainforest that covers more than 60% of the island. If you visit Trinidad for roti and Jamaica for jerk, you should travel to Dominica for green things like bush rum and flower teas. There are a ton of medicinal herbs in the forest.
The Jungle Bay Dominica resort, located smack dab in the center of the Soufrière jungles, leans into nature instead, maybe realizing the futility of fighting against the earth’s generosity. When I finally get there, the kitchen is closed. Joanne Hilaire, the operations manager, tells me that they never let guests go hungry, though, so I can feel the warmth of Dominica’s welcome. The cook is preparing an excellently stewed dish of beans with taro, rice, and plantain for our late dinner, off the menu, while I have a refreshing ginger-lime cocktail that is a local favorite. When I wake up the following morning, I find that my villa’s doors open onto a private veranda that faces southwest toward Soufrière Bay, where the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean converge. I let the light wake me for the remainder of my stay by leaving my blinds open.
Leave a Reply