Why Ashton Kutcher Was “Pissed” About Ex Demi’s Revealing Memoir

Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher were one of Hollywood's most talked about couples throughout the early 2000s. Now, several decades and a divorce later, they are still spilling secrets about their former romance…

Nowhere to Hide

For eight years, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher were all anyone could talk about. Their relationship captivated the public, and the paparazzi followed them around Hollywood. However, things took a sharp turn.

After almost a decade together, six of them married, the couple announced their split - and people couldn't help but wonder what had really happened. There were rumors, of course. But it wasn't until years later that Demi truly opened the lid on their complicated relationship. So let's take a look back, shall we?

Before the '70s

Ashton Kutcher was born Christopher Ashton Kutcher in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He had an older sister and a twin brother, Michael. Growing up, Michael had health complications, which took a mental toll on Ashton. To escape reality, he would keep busy and get involved in his high school's drama program.

Kutcher was studying biochemical engineering at the University of Iowa when he was approached by a model scout and entered the "Fresh Faces of Iowa" competition. He won first place and was sent to New York City as a prize. Afterward, he decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue acting. But his story was just getting started.

Ashton, the Actor

Once he moved to LA, things happened at quite a fast-paced speed for Kutcher. He was cast as Michael Kelso, the stereotypical jock, in That '70s Show. Kelso had an on-again-off-again relationship with Jackie Burkhart, who Mila Kunis played. Ashton also hosted the hit pranking celebrity series, Punk'd.

Ashton found himself in a variety of films, from dramas like The Guardian to comedies like Dude, Where's My Car? Later, he replaced Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men and even returned for a guest appearance on the rebooted sitcom, That '90s Show. Safe to say, the former engineering student was destined for greatness.

Before Demi Was Moore

As for Demi? Today, she is known as one of the greatest actresses, but, at one point, she was also one of the highest-paid. Before she became one of Hollywood's best, she was an ordinary girl from Roswell, New Mexico - Demi Gene Guynes. She moved around a lot as a child because of her stepdad's job.

The acting bug bit Demi early on. When she was a teenager, she enrolled in drama classes and fell in love with acting. She also signed with the Elite Modeling Agency and fell in love with a musician named Freddy Moore. They eventually married - and she used his last name as part of her stage name.

Rising the Ranks

While Demi had roles in various recognizable titles like the soap opera General Hospital or the 80s flick St. Elmo's Fire, her career took off when she starred in About Last Night... After, she received a Golden Globe nomination for her role in Ghost and continued her winning streak with A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal, and more.

By the mid-90s, she had become the highest-paid actress in Hollywood and was at the peak of her career. She starred in G.I. Jane, and Moore shaved her head for the iconic role. Then, she took a break from the spotlight - returning a few years later in full force. 

A Casual Dinner?

Romance rumors began to swirl when Ashton, then-Hollywood's playboy and 25 at the time, was seen out to dinner with Demi, 41, in Los Angeles. They were eating at a trendy restaurant with a few friends. Just 2 weeks after this first sighting, the pair were seen in Miami together over Memorial Day weekend in 2003.

When Demi and Ashton were seen leaving a Miami restaurant, a witness told PEOPLE that they shared a "very romantic" kiss. The world could not help but immediately buzz about the new relationship. Moore had snagged perhaps the hottest commodity in Hollywood - Ashton Kutcher. 

Mr. & Mrs.

The rumors were indeed true: Ashton and Demi were Hollywood's latest it-couple. They were stealing headlines with every move they made. Before getting married, there were rumors that they had eloped in Mexico, but it wasn't until they were back in Los Angeles that they finally tied the knot.

Then, after two years of dating, they made it official. On September 24, 2005, the actor and actress were wed in a tight-knit ceremony at their home in Beverly Hills among 100 guests. A friend told PEOPLE, "It was a beautiful wedding," and another friend remarked, "There was just so much love in the room."

Mind the Age Gap

Despite all the love in the air, Moore and Kutcher had their fair share of controversy surrounding their relationship. Many people liked to comment on the 15 year age gap between the two of them. However, the couple was in good spirits about it, even poking fun at it.

When Kutcher hosted Saturday Night Live, Demi appeared in the show's opening monologue. Ashton introduced her to the audience, and they made her look like she was in her 80s. Moore grabbed her walker and continued to the stage. At least they knew how to have fun, despite what everyone else was saying. 

The Truth Comes Out

Although their relationship seemed like it was the stuff made from Hollywood movies themselves, it eventually unraveled. As we know now, Ashton and Demi eventually divorced in 2013 - but not much was said at the time about the circumstances that led to their split. However, the rumors haunted them, as usual.

And almost six years after their divorce was finalized, Moore turned things "inside out." Literally. She released a memoir about her life in 2019 titled Inside Out. The 272-page book detailed her relationship with Kutcher and what truly went on behind closed doors. Well, what did we miss?

Chasing Her Youth

Moore wrote about first meeting Kutcher and how it felt in her memoir. To her, their age gap didn't make a difference. She wrote, "He was 25. I was 40. But I'm telling you: we couldn't feel it. We were totally in sync, from our very first conversation…."

She continued, "When I met Ashton it almost felt like a do-over, like I could just go back in time and experience what it was like to be young, with him -- much more so than I'd ever been able to experience it when I was actually in my twenties." Demi was getting her chance at young love again.

Popping the Question

After finding out they were pregnant, Kutcher decided to ask Moore the biggest question of them all. She described the proposal, writing, "He asked me to go down to the beach to watch the sunset, and then he got down on one knee and presented me with a beautiful vintage Cartier ring. I was overwhelmed."

At first, she told him that she needed to think about it. She didn't want him to marry her only because she was pregnant. She continued, "But I loved him. And I knew he loved me. And I knew this baby would cement our family, bond us all on the deepest level. By the end of the night, I'd said yes."

Blended Family

In her second marriage to Die Hard actor Bruce Willis, Moore had three girls, Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah Belle. No matter what, Moore and Willis would put their girls first - and now Kutcher was also included in that picture. He said about his relationship with the girls, "We talk about everything. It's amazing."

Moore praised her husband in an interview. She noted, "Ashton's relationship with his own mother is really wonderful, so it made the transition to being with a woman with daughters something he didn't bat an eye at." While Kutcher proved to be an excellent stepfather, he still didn't have children to call his own.

A Devastated Demi

Then, Moore received the worst news she could get two years into their marriage. She wrote, "Almost six months into my pregnancy, right at the moment when we were going to start telling everyone, we went to the doctor's office. He did his usual ultrasound, but this time, there was no heartbeat." They had lost their baby.

Moore was in pain, grieving for the baby that she never got to hold in her arms. She remarked, "Ashton did his best to connect with me in my grief. He tried to be there for me during the miscarriage, but he couldn't really understand what I was feeling." All hope wasn't lost just yet, though.

"I Was Still Desperate"

Despite the horrible loss and the grief that Moore went through, she still wanted to bring another life into the world. She wrote in her memoir, "I was still desperate to have a baby with him." She wrote that Ashton was happy to have the baby in whatever way possible, but she was attached to having a baby she carried.

Moore stated, "I wanted to be the fertile woman who could have his baby." However, as more time passed, it became clear that maybe that would not be how they brought a child into the world. So, they began to search for other options. They looked into IVF treatment, an egg donor, or a surrogate.

Blindsided

But seemingly out of nowhere, Ashton had changed his mind. It must have hit Demi like a ton of bricks falling from the sky. After finding a suitable egg donor, Demi recalled, "Ashton told me, 'I don't think I can do this, and I don't know if this is working.' I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me."

She continued, "I asked him why he'd let me research a donor, go through this painful prolonged process, and make myself vulnerable in this way if he wasn't up for it. His response was simple: 'I never thought you'd go through with it.'" It was something that Demi had never expected, especially from Kutcher.

Bending the Rules

Moore wanted to do whatever she could to make her partner happy. So, when Kutcher told her about a fantasy he wanted to indulge in, she agreed. She confessed, "I wanted to show him how great and fun I could be." She continued, "There were two different people we opened our relationship to…"

Years later, Demi reflected on it in her book, "They were good people, but it was still a mistake. Part of the point of monogamy is the energy of somebody making the sacrifice or the choice for you... As soon as another person is brought in, you are no longer being held in that sacred spot." 

Backed Against the Wall

"I wanted this marriage to work, and I was willing to do whatever it took, to jump through any hoop," Moore continued in her memoir. She wanted to make sure that she gave this love everything she could in order to make it last. But sadly, it seemed like they were on a downward spiral.

Moore knew there were 2 options: to continue going downwards, or try to figure out a way to make this work, to create those sparks from the first time they met once again. Unfortunately, there was more bad news in store for Demi and her husband.

"Gross" Betrayal

There were rumors of cheating, which the couple denied. However, Demi brought to light the facts of the situation in Inside Out. She noted, "I remember the night they met. We were at a bowling alley with Rumer, and when he went to switch out our shoes, she gave him her number on a napkin. Or that's what he told me at the time."

She explained that when they got home, he showed her the note, and she was repulsed. Demi explained, "That is just gross. We were there with our kid, and she was there with her mother and her sister!" Later, Moore found out that Kutcher had brought this 21-year-old from the bowling alley into their home while she was out of town.

Self-Sabotage

Not only did Demi explain what happened in her memoir, but she also penned her then-husband's response to the ordeal. "Because we had brought a third party into our relationship, Ashton said, that blurred the lines and, to some extent, justified what he'd done," she wrote.

Then, she continued, "I think he felt remorse, but he was also looking for a way to deflect blame, to maintain his own perception of himself as a decent family guy." Then, she had another observation. "In retrospect, I think all of this was his way of trying to get out of our marriage."

An Identity Crisis

Moore had also struggled with substance abuse for most of her adult life. Before filming St. Elmo's Fire, director Joel Schumacher and 2 of the movie's producers had Moore check into a rehab for 15 days, which she talked about in her memoir. She also admitted that she became obsessed with working out before filming A Few Good Men.

She wrote, "I didn't feel like I could stop exercising." Unfortunately, things did not get better during her marriage to Kutcher. She confessed, "I wanted to be that girl. The girl who could have a glass of wine at dinner, or do a tequila shot at a party… So I tried to become that: a fun, normal girl."

Mixed Signals

During Demi's 45th birthday, things took a turn for the worse. She admitted, "Late that night, we all ended up in the hot tub... If other people hadn't been there, I would have drowned." Ashton carried her back to her bed and was incredibly upset, she noted.

She continued, "But it was also confusing: Ashton had encouraged me to go in this direction. When I went too far, though, he let me know how he felt by showing a picture he'd taken of me [while intoxicated]. " At first, Moore thought it was a joke, but she realized it was shaming upon reflection.

Caught Red-Handed

Sadly, there was more trouble on the horizon: Moore found out about her husband's second bout of infidelity through a Google alert notification. While she was away working, Kutcher had reportedly spent the weekend of their 6th wedding anniversary in San Diego with another woman. Moore called him immediately when she found out.

She wrote, "He admitted it right away." In an interview with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America, Moore recalled, "And I think my response was, 'Are you f---ing kidding me?' That was it. And I think I could barely take a breath." Then, Demi had to gather up all her courage because she was due to be on the red carpet.

Forcing a Smile

Moore continued, "Then I had to hang up and go walk the red carpet praying with every step that this information hadn't gone wide yet, that nobody would thrust a microphone in my face and ask how I felt about my husband of 6 years  [seeing] a 21-year-old he'd been hanging out with in a hot tub the weekend of our anniversary."

She continued, "I really thought I might throw up." Despite the pain that she was going through, Demi pulled herself together and walked that red carpet. She was promoting a miniseries that she directed for Lifetime, obligated to smile through the pain.

Calling It Quits

After 6 years of marriage and 8 years of being together, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher finally split. They released separate announcements on November 17, 2011. While their relationship was filled with its ups and downs, it was devastating news they had to share with the world.

PEOPLE reported that the couple had been seen together during the weeks following the bombshell news of Kutcher's second cheating scandal, but ultimately, they could not make it work. It would take time and a lot of healing before Demi could speak about it again.

Enter Mila Kunis

Before Kutcher's divorce from Moore was finalized, he began dating a blast from the past: Mila Kunis. The pair were costars on That '70s Show. Their characters were constantly in an on-again-off-again relationship. Now, it was their turn to try things out.

The couple later married and welcomed two kids, Wyatt Isabelle and Dimitri Portwood. Ashton and Mila kept things extremely private and hidden from the public - a very different lifestyle than what Ashton and Demi had experienced. However, things were about to be blown apart.

Bad Blood?

In September 2019, Demi Moore finally went public with her intimate memoir Inside Out. The book got up close and personal to the star's life as she detailed her childhood, career, and, of course, marriages. As we saw, she went into detail about what happened between her and Kutcher. 

However, there was only silence from her ex-husband. Kutcher did not acknowledge any of the claims, per PEOPLE. But over a year later, he admitted on WTF with Marc Maron, "There's no badness. It's all good." But was it really all good? According to some recent news, it appears it wasn't. 

Breaking His Silence

Sure enough, years after Demi Moore released her tell-all memoir, Ashton Kutcher finally opened up about his thoughts and feelings toward the book. He recently spoke with Esquire in a cover interview. The subject of his ex-wife's memoir came up, and Ashton didn't hold back...

He confessed, "I was f---ing pissed. I'd finally gotten to a place where the press had really laid off me and Mila, and my life and my family. And then the next day, [the paparazzi] are at my kids' school." He stopped himself, then said, "I don't want to open anything up in that realm."

Mila Has Some Words

Mila also had some thoughts on what had gone down and how Ashton had been behaving over the past few years. In his interview with Esquire, Ashton revealed that his former costar told him, "You were an *sshole." He countered back with, "Was I...?" Not certainly sure if he had been.

The Family Guy actress took no time to hesitate. Ashton said in the interview, "She didn't blink." Then she said to him, "Yeah, you were an *sshole for a good two years." Through all the pain and heartbreak, Ashton seemingly learned a thing or two. He got his act together for Mila. 

Laughing It Off

For the 2022 Super Bowl, Mila Kunis and Demi Moore even acted together in a commercial for AT&T together. In the commercial, they joke about everything they have in common, including attending the same high school and being married to Ashton Kutcher.

The light-hearted commercial showed just how far they have all come. While it may not have been the storybook ending that Demi and Ashton had initially planned for themselves, they can close that chapter of their lives in peace. No hard feelings remain between the former couple.

Blessing in Disguise

In fact, Moore also wrote about how she now felt about Ashton in her memoir. With all that she suffered, there could have been a lot of resentment and pent-up anger toward her ex-husband. However, she stated, "I'm grateful to Ashton too, believe it or not."

"Whatever pain we went through together enabled both of us to grow into the people we are today. We continue to collaborate with our foundation, Thorn, and I'm so proud of the work we do," she continued. We can't help but applaud the former couple for working through their demons.

A Devastating Update

Unfortunately, on February 16, 2023, Moore's past came back to haunt her again - this time, with tragic news. "Since we announced Bruce's diagnosis of aphasia in spring 2022, Bruce's condition has progressed, and we now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia," the actress announced on Instagram regarding ex-husband Bruce Willis.

According to the Mayo Clinic, frontotemporal dementia is an “umbrella term for a group of brain disorders that primarily affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. These areas of the brain are generally associated with personality, behavior, and language.” And for those under 60, FTD is also known as the most common form of dementia.

Continuing His Mission

After first disclosing his diagnosis of aphasia back in 2022, it was revealed that the Die Hard actor would be taking a break from acting. But given his most recent update, it seems the beloved icon will not be returning to the screen indefinitely. Nonetheless, Willis's absence will be felt all over - and Demi will be sure of it.

"Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately," Moore and the Willis family continued. "We know in our hearts that – if he could today -- he'd want to respond by bringing global attention and a connectedness with those who are also dealing with [FTD]."

"Lifelong Commitment"

As for what's next for the blended Willis family? "As Bruce always says, "Live it up" and together we plan to do just that," Moore assured her followers back in 2022, following his initial diagnosis. The Die Hard star and Demi were married from 1987 to 1998 - but despite calling it quits over 20 years ago, the exes have remained closer than ever. 

In fact, when Bruce re-married Emma Heming in 2009, Moore was one of the biggest supporters - even attending the wedding with her then-partner, of course, Ashton Kutcher. "We realize we have a lifelong commitment to our kids. Our friendship continues. The institution has been set aside," Willis explained back in 2000.

Jealousy & Love Triangles

But that doesn't mean it's always been smooth sailing for the exes - especially when new love interests were brought into the equation. In fact, Bruce, who remained single for a decade following his divorce, credited pal Will Smith for helping him battle jealousy when Moore began dating Kutcher in 2003.

"During some very dark hours, he talked to me about it. He said, "Dude, you've got to do whatever it takes to get the kids and all the spouses or the girlfriend together. You've got to show your kids it's okay," Willis told Playboy in 2007. "It was like a light went on. Ding. So Will, thanks. And thanks for all those good movies you're making."

What Next?

From partners to proud co-parents, Moore and Willis have managed every chapter with grace. "They always made an effort to do all of the family events still together… to still have our family be as one unit, as opposed to two separate things, which I think really made an impact," daughter Rumer praised during a Larry King interview.

Not only did Demi and Bruce quarantine together for 4 weeks during the pandemic, but they've even celebrated the holidays together as one big blended family. And while the actor's recent diagnosis is anything but celebratory, something tells us he has got all the love he needs. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bruce, Demi, and co. during this trying time.