Why did Demi Moore and Bruce Willis get divorced? Relationship explored as actress celebrates ex-husband's 67th birthday

Demi Moore recently took to Instagram to share an adorable post for her ex-husband Bruce Willis’ 67th birthday. The actress shared a photo of the pair posing beside each other inside the kitchen and thanked Willis for their blended family.

Last year, the Ghost star dedicated a similar tribute to her former husband on his birthday. At the time, Moore wrote:

“Happy birthday, BW! You are a one of a kind! So thankful to share these three beautiful girls and for our blended families.”

Moore and Willis tied the knot in 1987 and welcomed three daughters together. However, the duo parted ways in 1998 and finalized their divorce in 2000. They maintained an amicable relationship following their separation and continue to be a part of their blended family.

Following their divorce, Demi Moore married Ashton Kutcher in 2005 but parted ways with the actor in 2013. Meanwhile, Bruce Willis is currently married to his second wife, model and actress Emma Frances Heming.

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A look into Demi Moore and Bruce Willis’ relationship and split

Demi Moore and Bruce Willis divorced in 2000 but continued to co-parent their three daughters (Image via Bruce Glikas/Getty Images)

Demi Moore and Bruce Willis met in 1987 at the premiere of Moore’s then-fiancé, Emilio Estevez’s film Stakeout. In 2019, the former opened up about their first meeting in her tell-all memoir Inside Out.

The actress recalled that she attended an afterparty with Willis that night and the latter asked her to write her phone number on his arm. Moore also remembered the Die Hard star pulling up beside her on the highway while she was driving home:

“It was a stretch limousine in the next lane, with Bruce Willis and his buddies poking up through the open sunroof, waving and shouting, 'Hey, Demi!'. It was like the universe was telling me: pay attention to this one.”

Shortly after, Demi Moore called it quits with Estevez and started dating Willis. Following a few months of whirlwind romance, the couple decided to marry during a trip to Las Vegas. The St. Elmo’s Fire actress also wrote about her sudden marriage in her memoir:

“We were moving to the gambling tables when Bruce said, 'I think we should get married.' We'd been joking about it on the flight there, but suddenly it didn't seem like he was kidding.”

Willis and Moore exchanged their vows inside a private suite at the Golden Nugget Hotel in Las Vegas on November 21, 1987. Nearly a month later, the couple organized a lavish wedding ceremony in Los Angeles and officiated their marriage with the help of ordained minister and singer Little Richard.

The pair welcomed their first child, daughter Rumer Glenn Willis, in 1988 and moved to rural Idaho to raise their family away from the spotlight. Their second daughter Scout LaRue Willis was born in 1991 and their third daughter Tallulah Belle Willis arrived in 1994.

Although Demi Moore and Bruce Willis were once considered to be one of Hollywood’s “golden” couples, the former mentioned in her memoir that their respective busy schedules started to affect their marriage.

The couple sparked separation rumors in 1993 and Demi Moore told Vanity Fair that the speculation would not stop “until one day they may be right.” Years after their split, the actress wrote that Willis reportedly preferred her to stay at home with their children:

“I experienced the most conventional family dynamic I'd ever known in those years.”

In June 1998, the couple released an official statement about their decision to part ways through spokesman Paul Bloch:

“Bruce Willis and Demi Moore have announced they are ending their marriage after 11 years. They were married on November 21, 1987.”

The pair officially finalized their divorce in 2000, two years after announcing their split. That same year, Willis opened up about their separation during an interview with Rolling Stone:

“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.”

The Fifth Element actor also shared his thoughts about the reason behind his separation from Moore and mentioned that the duo decided to remain friends:

“Our friendship continues. The institution has been set aside… It’s difficult to live your life and marriage under a magnifying glass, which is what happens to movie star couples.”

Following their separation, Moore and Willis continued to maintain a remarkable friendship and great co-parenting relationship. The pair also supported each other after they moved on with their respective new relationships.

Demi Moore tied the knot with Ashton Kutcher in 2005, while Bruce Willis married Emma Heming in 2009.

That same year, the actor told W Magazine that he and his wife had a comfortable relationship with Moore and Kutcher. He also referred to the group as a “blended tribe":

"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."

Nearly 15 years after their divorce, Moore and Willis reunited to support their daughter Rumer in Dancing With the Stars Season 20. The latter told Larry King in 2015 that her parents “always made an effort” to do all the family events together and kept the family as one unit.

In 2019, Willis supported Moore during the launch of her Inside Out memoir. That same year, the former’s wife Emma Heming told US Weekly that she had immense respect for the couple for working through their divorce and putting their children first.

Bruce Willis and Demi Moore even quarantined together with their daughters during the height of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The duo have also stayed close friends and continue to raise their blended family together.