When it comes to Hollywood couples, it's rare to see former spouses remain friends post-divorce. Well, 2025 Oscar nominee Demi Moore (who's up for Best Actress for her role in The Substance) and her ex-husband Bruce Willis seem to be proof that sometimes people are better off as friends.
While Demi and Bruce's bond has spanned almost four decades, the two's relationship first began back in July 1987. Per People, they connected while they both attended a screening of the movie Stakeout — which coincidentally starred Demi's then-fiancé, Emilio Estevez. It wasn't long before Demi broke off her engagement, and she and Bruce quickly became an item after that. And if a whirlwind romance wasn't enough for Demi and Bruce, they surprised everyone by getting married by the end of that year.
"We were moving to the gambling tables when Bruce said, 'I think we should get married,'" Demi stated in her 2019 memoir Inside Out. "We'd been joking about it on the flight there, but suddenly it didn't seem like he was kidding."
As quickly as Demi and Bruce's relationship began, so did their journey into parenthood. They welcomed their oldest daughter Rumer in August 1988, followed by Scout in July 1991 and Tallulah in February 1994. But in June 1998, fans were shocked to learn Demi and Bruce chose to separate and end their marriage. Despite their relationship moving into the co-parenting phase, the love Demi and Bruce had for each other never wavered. In fact, Bruce shared with Rolling Stone in December 2000 how their friendship would always remain.
"I still love Demi. We're very close. We have three children whom we will continue to raise together, and we're probably as close now as we ever were. We realize we have a lifelong commitment to our kids. Our friendship continues."
Although Demi and Bruce were no longer together, they remained a part of each other's lives. When Demi married Ashton Kutcher in 2005, Bruce attended as a beloved guest (Demi and Ashton later divorced after six years of marriage in 2011). Demi also was there to see Bruce wed his current wife Emma Heming in 2009, and they all became a blended family that includes Bruce and Emma's daughters Mabel (born in 2012) and Evelyn (born in 2014).
"We've become like a tribe," Bruce told W in June 2009. "It's generated a lot of interest because everyone can understand resentment and envy in the breakup of a marriage, but they don't understand how I can get along with my ex like that. Demi and I made a choice to put the kids first, and we're really lucky that it turns out we all have fun together."
Clearly Demi and Bruce have managed to make a bond as strong as theirs work, since they continue to be part of each other's lives to this day. Demi has been adamant about being a support for Emma after news broke of Bruce's aphasia diagnosis in March 2022. As Bruce's condition progressed to frontotemporal dementia in February 2023, Demi also makes sure to spend as much time with her ex-husband as she can. She also makes sure people know how much she appreciates his presence in her life, as seen in her heartfelt Father's Day message back in June 2024.
"Happy Father’s Day to our favorite girl dad," she wrote on Instagram alongside a series of throwback photos. "We love you, BW!"
What's more, Demi shared her love for Bruce has extended beyond him to include Emma, Mabel and Evelyn. And even though it's been years since their romantic love story ended, a different kind of love remains.
"We will always be a family, just in a different form," she told Variety in February 2025. "For me, there was never a question. I show up because that's what you do for the people you love ... I hope it's encouraging for others to see that there's a different way to do things. There is life after divorce. There is a way to co-parent with love."
As the entertainment and news associate editor for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
