Traded for Cash as a Child – Now She’s a Hollywood Superstar!
This talented actress had a tough and long journey to fame, but her story shows how she overcame a difficult past.
Demi Gene Guynes was born on November 11, 1962. Her life became chaotic right away when her father, Charles Harmon Sr., left her mother, Virginia King, just two months after they got married, leaving Virginia to raise Demi alone.
Soon after Demi was born, her mom remarried Dan Guynes, who worked in newspaper advertising. Sadly, Dan’s constant job changes meant the family had to move a lot during Demi’s childhood.
Demi also faced health challenges as a child. She had kidney problems and had to undergo two surgeries to fix strabismus, a condition that made her eyes cross.
At 13, Demi’s life took another turn when she found out that the man she thought was her father, Dan Guynes, was actually her stepfather. This discovery led Demi to move in with her grandmother and distance herself from her mother’s troubled home.
Demi later dropped out of Fairfax High School and started modeling with Elite Modeling Agency. But her real passion was acting, which she pursued after marrying musician Freddy Moore in 1981.
Demi took her husband’s last name, Moore, and kept it throughout her career, even after their marriage ended five years later. Early in her acting career, she appeared on *General Hospital* and in movies like *Choices*, *No Small Affair*, and *Blame It on Rio*. But it wasn’t until 1985, when she starred in *St. Elmo’s Fire*, that she started getting more attention.
Her big breakthrough came in 1990 with the movie *Ghost*. The film was a huge success and made Demi a top star in Hollywood. She continued to rise with roles in *A Few Good Men*, *Indecent Proposal*, and *Disclosure*. In 1995, Demi became the highest-paid actress in Hollywood for a short time, earning $12 million for her role in *Striptease*.
In her personal life, Demi married actor Bruce Willis in 1987, and they became one of Hollywood’s most famous couples. They had three daughters together — Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah — but they divorced in 2000. Even after the split, Demi and Bruce stayed close and continued to co-parent their daughters successfully.
When asked if she believed the man’s claim that he paid her mother $500, Demi said, “Deep down, I don’t think it was a simple transaction. But my mother still allowed him access and put me in danger.”
Demi’s relationship with her mother was strained for many years, especially after her stepfather’s suicide in 1980, which worsened her mother’s alcoholism. Demi cut off contact with her mother in 1990, but they made up before her mother passed away from cancer in 1998.
Despite the many challenges Demi has faced, her memoir shows how much she has healed and grown through self-reflection.
If you’re interested in Demi Moore’s story, you might also like to read about how she’s been supporting her ex-husband Bruce Willis in his fight against dementia.
