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‘In that moment you’re hurt’: Tallulah Willis opens up about her mother Demi Moore’s marriage to Ashton Kutcher

Tallulah Willis dishes on growing up with Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher in the premiere of the reality TV show 'Stars on Mars.'

tallulah willis
Frederick M. Brown / Stringer / Getty Images

The inaugural episode of the reality TV show Stars on Mars saw many celebrity revelations and reflections, including a powerful moment when Tallulah Willis shared her recollection of the headling-making romance between her mother, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher.

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Entertainment Tonight reports that the subject came up when Ronda Rousey expressed curiosity about what it was like to grow up with “extremely famous parents.” Tallulah, true to her forthright nature, gave a frank response on her mom’s relationship with Kutcher and how it impacted her life:

“It was, like. 2003, and my mom had just started dating Ashton. It was that moment, a lot going on, and I really went inside of myself. That did send me into, like, a total dumpster fire. It was really hard, and I’m still unpacking.”

At the time, Moore was making a triumphant comeback as Madison Lee in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle and her high-profile age-gap relationship with Kutcher became the hottest topic in the tabloid press. The film earned $259.2 million at the box office, but Moore’s relationship with Kutcher stole the thunder she deserved.

As the youngest child of Moore and action legend Bruce Willis, who are undeniably two of Hollywood’s brightest stars, it’s understandable that Tallulah felt overwhelmed. She recalls that, as an eight-year-old, it was difficult to understand her parents’ fame and the shifts in their relationship.

However, their celebrity status came into sharp focus during her 40-year-old movie star mother’s doomed marriage to the 25-year-old TV star in 2005. Tallulah was 14 years old when the couple divorced after six years of marriage in the wake of distressing rumors of infidelity, and she remembers feeling abandoned.

“Everyone left the house and it was just me living there. I know that she does [love me], one hundred percent, but in that moment you’re hurt, and you can’t fathom that someone that loves you would do that to you, and would choose others more than you.”

Kutcher developed a close bond with his step-daughters, who affectionately called him “MOD,” a sweet acronym for “my other dad.” Sadly, his marriage to Moore collapsed in 2011. The changing nature of their relationship didn’t alter Kutcher’s feelings, and the actor turned venture capitalist has maintained relationships with his step-children, once declaring on the WTF podcast:

“I’m never going to stop loving them.”

Tallulah recently published a touching essay about her life and evolving relationship with her father since his frontotemporal dementia diagnosis. It’s evident that being the child of famous parents is something she has seen several sides of, but she feels a lot of love throughout all of them.

Tallulah is one of 12 celebrity contestants on Stars on Mars, alongside Ariel Winter, Lance Armstrong, Porscha Williams, Marshawn Lynch, Tinashe, and Richard Sherman. You can watch new episodes of the series on FOX on Monday nights.