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Inside Out
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Memoir & Autobiography (2019)A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A Daily Mail Book of the Year. A Mail on Sunday Book of the Year.
Famed American actress Demi Moore at last tells her own story in a surprisingly intimate and emotionally charged memoir.
For decades, Demi Moore has been synonymous with celebrity. From iconic film roles to high-profile relationships, Moore has never been far from the spotlight – or the headlines.
Even as Demi was becoming the highest paid actress in Hollywood, however, she was always outrunning her past, just one step ahead of the doubts and insecurities that defined her childhood. Throughout her rise to fame and during some of the most pivotal moments of her life, Demi battled addiction, body image issues, and childhood trauma that would follow her for years – all while juggling a skyrocketing career and at times negative public perception. As her success grew, Demi found herself questioning if she belonged in Hollywood, if she was a good mother, a good actress – and, always, if she was simply good enough.
As much as her story is about adversity, it is also about tremendous resilience. In this deeply candid and reflective memoir, Demi pulls back the curtain and opens up about her career and personal life – laying bare her tumultuous relationship with her mother, her marriages, her struggles balancing stardom with raising a family, and her journey toward open heartedness. Inside Out is a story of survival, success, and surrender – a wrenchingly honest portrayal of one woman’s at once ordinary and iconic life.
A Daily Mail Book of the Year. A Mail on Sunday Book of the Year.
Famed American actress Demi Moore at last tells her own story in a surprisingly intimate and emotionally charged memoir.
For decades, Demi Moore has been synonymous with celebrity. From iconic film roles to high-profile relationships, Moore has never been far from the spotlight – or the headlines.
Even as Demi was becoming the highest paid actress in Hollywood, however, she was always outrunning her past, just one step ahead of the doubts and insecurities that defined her childhood. Throughout her rise to fame and during some of the most pivotal moments of her life, Demi battled addiction, body image issues, and childhood trauma that would follow her for years – all while juggling a skyrocketing career and at times negative public perception. As her success grew, Demi found herself questioning if she belonged in Hollywood, if she was a good mother, a good actress – and, always, if she was simply good enough.
As much as her story is about adversity, it is also about tremendous resilience. In this deeply candid and reflective memoir, Demi pulls back the curtain and opens up about her career and personal life – laying bare her tumultuous relationship with her mother, her marriages, her struggles balancing stardom with raising a family, and her journey toward open heartedness. Inside Out is a story of survival, success, and surrender – a wrenchingly honest portrayal of one woman’s at once ordinary and iconic life.
262 pages, Hardcover
First published September 24, 2019
About the author
Demi Moore
26 books203 followersDemi Moore is an American actress. After making her film debut in 1981, she appeared on the soap opera General Hospital and subsequently gained recognition as a member of the Brat Pack with roles in St. Elmo's Fire and About Last Night. Her starring role in Ghost, the highest-grossing film of that year, earned her a Golden Globe nomination. 1996, Moore became the highest-paid actress in film history when she received a then-unprecedented US$12.5 million salary. Her personal life has been the subject of significant media coverage, particularly her marriages to actors Bruce Willis and Ashton Kutcher. She and Willis have three daughters together: Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,345 reviews
October 13, 2019
Overdrive Public Library Audiobook....read by Demi Moore
Demi Moore talked rapidly. The hastiness and hurriedness in her voice, often felt as chaotic and stressful as the stories she told about her life.
Over and over — we hear phrases from Demi saying....
She felt rejection...
She felt abandoned...
Didn’t feel confident...
Felt intimidated...
She felt insecure...
Family members were critical of her
Her mother acted more like a bratty sister to her than a mother.
She had less experience than others...
Determined to do better....
Had to get in shape...
MUST get in shape...( biking, hiking, excessive exercise)
Demi felt proud of her nude-pregnancy photo on Vanity Fair...( but sounded as if she was justifying the photo)....she said it was a brave-bold photo....especially from somebody who struggled with body image as much as she did.
She felt the public had a distorted view of her..
She felt too much ‘ill-will’ came her way....and it was unfair.
Deep down - the only people Demi trusted were her children.
Do they trust her?
DEMI NEVER HAD A PROBLEM GETTING A PART...
But.....one minute Demi would say how insecure she was - the next minute she was patting herself on the back.
Demi has been called selfish, a prima donna, and a bitch.
Negative press pissed her off!
We get LOTS OF BLAME, ACCUSATIONS, AND JUDGEMENTS! I wondered if Demi could hear herself? I wondered if this was the book she wanted her children to read? I wondered why I was reading it?
DEMI SOUNDED ANGRY, RESENTFUL, & DEFENSIVE about things that were done TO HER....
She sounded as if she ‘needed’ to tell the world ...she was treated unfairly.
I HAVE NO IDEA, MAYBE DEMI WAS TREATED UNFAIRLY....
but....
*MAYBE*......she had something to do with her own failures and the criticism she received.
Demi did sound a little bitchy!
I’m sorry Demi was raped - age 15. She could bitch all she needed to about the slimy asshole as far as I was concerned. Tell the world what she learn:
[she would protect her daughters better than she was protected by her mother...not let grown men be alone in a house unsupervised]...
but I wondered how did this book protect her children?
I would be horrified to hear comments about my mother’s book... if I was her children.
Demi’s bitching was simply tiring!
I didn’t see how her blaming benefitted her one ounce....
Other than a paycheck.
I liked the movie “Ghost”...( who didn’t)....
I liked “St. Elmo’s Fire”....
I liked “A Few Good Men”
“Striptease” was atrocious and disastrous...
BUT... again with the blame...
Demi’s sharing about her movies...were focused on blame & justifications.
I took what Demi wrote about Bruce & Ashton with a grain of salt.
I cringed hearing Demi point the finger at the men her children had the right to love.
Public slandering isn’t flattering to anyone.
I couldn’t help but wonder... was Demi selling herself out - for a buck? Was writing this book for a paycheck?
It wasn’t much different than the tabloids. Only this time - Demi was generating the gossip.
This book is almost an open ‘invitation’ for the readers to judge and evaluate Demi’s character.
My god... I hope it was worth it to her.
...we learned about Demi’s crappy childhood....her crappy parents-and their lack of healthy boundaries...her teenage years...( frantic moves from one home to another)...
...drugs...music...abuse...her career...her marriages...her pregnancies, her children, her favorite place to live ( Idaho), ....and lots of chatter about Demi’s public image- from her perspective.
Overall....this book felt self indulgent - whiny.....
Some of the things Demi wrote was just poor taste.
Demi Moore, the once highest paid actress in Hollywood.....disclosed private details and name dropping that became off-putting.
In my opinion this book taps into the ugly sides of humanity...
for ‘both’ the author and reader.
Who really benefits? Did I?
Or....
Did I simply feed my cheap voyeurism-side!
Guilty... yep, voyeurism!
But the lasting experience isn’t enlightening or nourishing to my soul.
A low 3 stars
Demi Moore talked rapidly. The hastiness and hurriedness in her voice, often felt as chaotic and stressful as the stories she told about her life.
Over and over — we hear phrases from Demi saying....
She felt rejection...
She felt abandoned...
Didn’t feel confident...
Felt intimidated...
She felt insecure...
Family members were critical of her
Her mother acted more like a bratty sister to her than a mother.
She had less experience than others...
Determined to do better....
Had to get in shape...
MUST get in shape...( biking, hiking, excessive exercise)
Demi felt proud of her nude-pregnancy photo on Vanity Fair...( but sounded as if she was justifying the photo)....she said it was a brave-bold photo....especially from somebody who struggled with body image as much as she did.
She felt the public had a distorted view of her..
She felt too much ‘ill-will’ came her way....and it was unfair.
Deep down - the only people Demi trusted were her children.
Do they trust her?
DEMI NEVER HAD A PROBLEM GETTING A PART...
But.....one minute Demi would say how insecure she was - the next minute she was patting herself on the back.
Demi has been called selfish, a prima donna, and a bitch.
Negative press pissed her off!
We get LOTS OF BLAME, ACCUSATIONS, AND JUDGEMENTS! I wondered if Demi could hear herself? I wondered if this was the book she wanted her children to read? I wondered why I was reading it?
DEMI SOUNDED ANGRY, RESENTFUL, & DEFENSIVE about things that were done TO HER....
She sounded as if she ‘needed’ to tell the world ...she was treated unfairly.
I HAVE NO IDEA, MAYBE DEMI WAS TREATED UNFAIRLY....
but....
*MAYBE*......she had something to do with her own failures and the criticism she received.
Demi did sound a little bitchy!
I’m sorry Demi was raped - age 15. She could bitch all she needed to about the slimy asshole as far as I was concerned. Tell the world what she learn:
[she would protect her daughters better than she was protected by her mother...not let grown men be alone in a house unsupervised]...
but I wondered how did this book protect her children?
I would be horrified to hear comments about my mother’s book... if I was her children.
Demi’s bitching was simply tiring!
I didn’t see how her blaming benefitted her one ounce....
Other than a paycheck.
I liked the movie “Ghost”...( who didn’t)....
I liked “St. Elmo’s Fire”....
I liked “A Few Good Men”
“Striptease” was atrocious and disastrous...
BUT... again with the blame...
Demi’s sharing about her movies...were focused on blame & justifications.
I took what Demi wrote about Bruce & Ashton with a grain of salt.
I cringed hearing Demi point the finger at the men her children had the right to love.
Public slandering isn’t flattering to anyone.
I couldn’t help but wonder... was Demi selling herself out - for a buck? Was writing this book for a paycheck?
It wasn’t much different than the tabloids. Only this time - Demi was generating the gossip.
This book is almost an open ‘invitation’ for the readers to judge and evaluate Demi’s character.
My god... I hope it was worth it to her.
...we learned about Demi’s crappy childhood....her crappy parents-and their lack of healthy boundaries...her teenage years...( frantic moves from one home to another)...
...drugs...music...abuse...her career...her marriages...her pregnancies, her children, her favorite place to live ( Idaho), ....and lots of chatter about Demi’s public image- from her perspective.
Overall....this book felt self indulgent - whiny.....
Some of the things Demi wrote was just poor taste.
Demi Moore, the once highest paid actress in Hollywood.....disclosed private details and name dropping that became off-putting.
In my opinion this book taps into the ugly sides of humanity...
for ‘both’ the author and reader.
Who really benefits? Did I?
Or....
Did I simply feed my cheap voyeurism-side!
Guilty... yep, voyeurism!
But the lasting experience isn’t enlightening or nourishing to my soul.
A low 3 stars
December 30, 2019
Inside Out by Demi Moore is a 2019 Harper publication.
A compelling and revealing memoir
I waffled back and forth on this one. Initially, I talked myself out of reading it, then changed my mind when I saw it had generated a little buzz and I noticed most of the reviews were positive.
Curiosity got the better of me and so I borrowed it from the library. However, the audio version was available on Scribd and I ended up listening to the book instead.
I’ve never been a fan of movie, or TV stars, in the same way I am with musicians or authors. I liked many of the movies Demi starred in- Ghost being my very favorite of all her roles. I think she is a good actress, but I wouldn’t call myself a fan, necessarily.
Naturally, I was aware she was controversial at times, that she had married and divorced Bruce Willis, and then married Ashton Kutcher- a relationship that came under a great deal of scrutiny in the tabloids. In other words, I knew the simple basics and that's about it.
Much of the information regarding her childhood and upbringing was news to me. I didn’t even know she had once had a role on a popular soap opera early in her career. Before long, Demi had captured my rapt attention as I digested all this information.
Her narration is top- notch. Occasionally, in the beginning of the book she did speak a little too rapidly, as though she were in a hurry to finish the task. However, as the book progressed, she found a rhythm and her inflections were sincere and very believable.
When it comes to celebrity memoirs I feel a little more justified in expressing my personal opinion about the author, since after all, this is not a biography, written by a third party or without authorization.
Some of my impressions are:
I’m not a psychologist, but I did see patterns in Demi’s life. I don’t know what the official word might be, but she did seem to have a predisposition towards addiction. Alcohol, drugs, food, shopping- she seemed to replace one addiction with another.
Like most of us, Demi has made some questionable choices, personally and professionally. She has been the object of criticism from all sides on occasion. While this book is her opportunity to tell her side of the story, I thought she held her resentments in check for the most part.
While some celebrities mentioned in the book felt compelled to set the record straight- on mostly minor things- and some may have felt compelled to defend themselves- but ultimately took the high road- I thought Demi did a good job in telling her life story. She was hard on some people, sometimes understandably, sometimes not, but she was also forgiving. She didn’t sugarcoat her foibles and owned her own s**t.
Overall, this memoir is very well-done. Demi has pulled herself up out of some dark places more than once and appears to be in a good place right now. Often times, a memoir will lesson my opinion of someone, but in this case the opposite was true.
4 stars
A compelling and revealing memoir
I waffled back and forth on this one. Initially, I talked myself out of reading it, then changed my mind when I saw it had generated a little buzz and I noticed most of the reviews were positive.
Curiosity got the better of me and so I borrowed it from the library. However, the audio version was available on Scribd and I ended up listening to the book instead.
I’ve never been a fan of movie, or TV stars, in the same way I am with musicians or authors. I liked many of the movies Demi starred in- Ghost being my very favorite of all her roles. I think she is a good actress, but I wouldn’t call myself a fan, necessarily.
Naturally, I was aware she was controversial at times, that she had married and divorced Bruce Willis, and then married Ashton Kutcher- a relationship that came under a great deal of scrutiny in the tabloids. In other words, I knew the simple basics and that's about it.
Much of the information regarding her childhood and upbringing was news to me. I didn’t even know she had once had a role on a popular soap opera early in her career. Before long, Demi had captured my rapt attention as I digested all this information.
Her narration is top- notch. Occasionally, in the beginning of the book she did speak a little too rapidly, as though she were in a hurry to finish the task. However, as the book progressed, she found a rhythm and her inflections were sincere and very believable.
When it comes to celebrity memoirs I feel a little more justified in expressing my personal opinion about the author, since after all, this is not a biography, written by a third party or without authorization.
Some of my impressions are:
I’m not a psychologist, but I did see patterns in Demi’s life. I don’t know what the official word might be, but she did seem to have a predisposition towards addiction. Alcohol, drugs, food, shopping- she seemed to replace one addiction with another.
Like most of us, Demi has made some questionable choices, personally and professionally. She has been the object of criticism from all sides on occasion. While this book is her opportunity to tell her side of the story, I thought she held her resentments in check for the most part.
While some celebrities mentioned in the book felt compelled to set the record straight- on mostly minor things- and some may have felt compelled to defend themselves- but ultimately took the high road- I thought Demi did a good job in telling her life story. She was hard on some people, sometimes understandably, sometimes not, but she was also forgiving. She didn’t sugarcoat her foibles and owned her own s**t.
Overall, this memoir is very well-done. Demi has pulled herself up out of some dark places more than once and appears to be in a good place right now. Often times, a memoir will lesson my opinion of someone, but in this case the opposite was true.
4 stars
October 24, 2019
Periodically I find and listen to celebrity memoirs. I like the audiobooks because generally the author narrates it and the book feels gossipy, funny, heartfelt. The books are also slightly voyeuristic, and if the author shares little moments, vignettes, which allow the reader to feel they are friends sitting together over coffee sharing life experiences.
Rob Lowe, for instance, has two books which made me smile throughout. I felt like I remembered the stories. I felt like they were something we shared. And Portia de Rossi shared a tough, smart story of her eating disorder which allowed me to develop a compassion for her that wasn't previously there. So I was hoping that this book would be similar, but I was a bit disappointed.
The pros: Moore's memoir deals with childhood trauma and it’s aftermath very well. She is open and truthful. She exposes the issues of her birth family which were mostly caused by alcoholism and abuse. She shares the way these issues made her feel worthless and how hard it was during her life to escape the fear that came from her background. In this way it was more similar to de Rossi's book.
The cons: When the book gets to the part of her life -- the 1980s -- when she was most famous I felt it failed. It didn't feel gossipy in a light-hearted and fun way, but rather it felt gossipy and mean-spirited or selfish. There were a couple moments in particular that I hated. One of those is this: she brought up a sexual relationship with Jon Cryer which was quite selfish in nature. She stated that she took his virginity (which he says isn't true, but that doesn't matter). To me, this is an invasion of his privacy. It isn't her story to tell. True or not, he gets to tell the story of his own sex life. The story even came off as a bit mean-girlish, as though she was the hot girl and he wasn't the hot guy, so of course he was a virgin and he was lucky to have her. It just didn't feel positive.
And then there was her discussion of Ashton Kutcher. I realize that the end of their marriage was one of the more difficult periods of her life and that there may be some resentment. And honestly her discussion of infidelity didn't bother me at all. But there was a scene where she blamed him for the fact that she chose to drink alcohol again after being clean and sober. This really bothered me. It is not responsible to put that burden on any other human being. I understand that we can trigger one another and that is especially true in close relationships. However, it is important that we take ownership of our own failings, weaknesses, addictions...
The book closes in a positive way, where she discusses her personal growth and shares the closeness she has with her daughters. But it came too quickly. She failed to show the steps that she took to repair her life. They were touched on, glossed over... it makes it look like it came easily. And if your book is about how hard childhood trauma is but that it is recoverable, then I believe the most important aspect of the book is to show how it happened for you. That element should have the most pages dedicated to it.
Rob Lowe, for instance, has two books which made me smile throughout. I felt like I remembered the stories. I felt like they were something we shared. And Portia de Rossi shared a tough, smart story of her eating disorder which allowed me to develop a compassion for her that wasn't previously there. So I was hoping that this book would be similar, but I was a bit disappointed.
The pros: Moore's memoir deals with childhood trauma and it’s aftermath very well. She is open and truthful. She exposes the issues of her birth family which were mostly caused by alcoholism and abuse. She shares the way these issues made her feel worthless and how hard it was during her life to escape the fear that came from her background. In this way it was more similar to de Rossi's book.
The cons: When the book gets to the part of her life -- the 1980s -- when she was most famous I felt it failed. It didn't feel gossipy in a light-hearted and fun way, but rather it felt gossipy and mean-spirited or selfish. There were a couple moments in particular that I hated. One of those is this: she brought up a sexual relationship with Jon Cryer which was quite selfish in nature. She stated that she took his virginity (which he says isn't true, but that doesn't matter). To me, this is an invasion of his privacy. It isn't her story to tell. True or not, he gets to tell the story of his own sex life. The story even came off as a bit mean-girlish, as though she was the hot girl and he wasn't the hot guy, so of course he was a virgin and he was lucky to have her. It just didn't feel positive.
And then there was her discussion of Ashton Kutcher. I realize that the end of their marriage was one of the more difficult periods of her life and that there may be some resentment. And honestly her discussion of infidelity didn't bother me at all. But there was a scene where she blamed him for the fact that she chose to drink alcohol again after being clean and sober. This really bothered me. It is not responsible to put that burden on any other human being. I understand that we can trigger one another and that is especially true in close relationships. However, it is important that we take ownership of our own failings, weaknesses, addictions...
The book closes in a positive way, where she discusses her personal growth and shares the closeness she has with her daughters. But it came too quickly. She failed to show the steps that she took to repair her life. They were touched on, glossed over... it makes it look like it came easily. And if your book is about how hard childhood trauma is but that it is recoverable, then I believe the most important aspect of the book is to show how it happened for you. That element should have the most pages dedicated to it.
October 24, 2019
Demi Moore’s memoir Inside Out details the life of the well-know actress from her rocky childhood into adulthood with a successful career, her high-profile relationships, and numerous battles she dealt with: family issues, body image issues, addictions, and self-worth. Now in her mid-50s, Demi reflects on the experiences that have shaped her as a person.
It’s somewhat surprising how successful Demi’s acting career was considering how much her parents well, to be blunt, sucked. It’s hard for me to feel sympathy toward people who choose not to help themselves when it’s obvious they need it, particularly when there’s little to no regard for two kids or their well-being. I was definitely getting The Glass Castle vibes in parts of Inside Out.
Demi also details some of her experiences working on several movies and other projects she’s been involved with over the years. Though I was really young when a lot of them were hits, I found these parts of the story interesting.
She discusses her relationships, most notably with Bruce Willis, the father of her three daughters, and then Ashton Kutcher. With so much toxicity in today’s world, it’s nice to see Demi and Bruce were, for the most part, able to maintain a strong family unit and co-parent well together after they split.
Though I definitely don’t agree with all of her decisions, Demi has overcome a lot and I appreciate the honesty she shares in Inside Out. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Demi herself, which I would recommend.
It’s somewhat surprising how successful Demi’s acting career was considering how much her parents well, to be blunt, sucked. It’s hard for me to feel sympathy toward people who choose not to help themselves when it’s obvious they need it, particularly when there’s little to no regard for two kids or their well-being. I was definitely getting The Glass Castle vibes in parts of Inside Out.
Demi also details some of her experiences working on several movies and other projects she’s been involved with over the years. Though I was really young when a lot of them were hits, I found these parts of the story interesting.
She discusses her relationships, most notably with Bruce Willis, the father of her three daughters, and then Ashton Kutcher. With so much toxicity in today’s world, it’s nice to see Demi and Bruce were, for the most part, able to maintain a strong family unit and co-parent well together after they split.
Though I definitely don’t agree with all of her decisions, Demi has overcome a lot and I appreciate the honesty she shares in Inside Out. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Demi herself, which I would recommend.
October 25, 2019
3.5 stars
I wouldn't necessarily say I'm a Demi Moore fan, but I did walk away from this book with some newfound respect. Despite the millions in the bank and stunning good looks, she hasn't had the easiest life. She shares a lot of her struggles in this memoir and I'm sure putting yourself out there like that is difficult.
Demi might not appear in as many blockbuster movies as she did at the height of her fame, but she certainly still has A-list fame recognition. There was a lot of press for this memoir and so I assumed I had heard all of the "juicy" gossip bits ahead of time. However this book had a few stories that even I, a self-proclaimed pop culture junkie, had never heard including how 16 year old Demi had dinner with Roman Polanski a few days before he fled the U.S. after being convicted of raping a 13 year old girl. And on a much lighter note how the heck did I never know she and Bruce Willis were friends with John Goodman?
Survivor is a good word to describe Demi. She had a pretty messed up childhood, has been thru 3 divorces, has experienced both box office successes and disappointments, has had periods of estrangement from different family members, and battled addiction. And yet, she's still standing. She seems to be in a pretty good place right now and I would imagine writing this memoir proved to be a cathartic experience.
For the most part I think she did open up about her life and to me it didn't feel like she was doing so to assign blame or anything. In my opinion she didn't demonize her ex-husbands but instead showed some of the good and bad parts of their time spent together. Now I do think though she was fairly vague about some of the things that might have led to her daughters and Bruce not speaking to her for a few years. That's really the only instance in which I felt there was more to the story that she wasn't willing to share.
I am left with the impression she is trying to be the best version of herself she can be, and at the end of the day, isn't that the best any of us can do?
Definitely recommend if you enjoy reading celebrity memoirs. It was a fascinating read as it felt like you got an inside look into the life of a Hollywood star and also just regular ol' Demi, the woman who is pretty content living in Idaho.
I wouldn't necessarily say I'm a Demi Moore fan, but I did walk away from this book with some newfound respect. Despite the millions in the bank and stunning good looks, she hasn't had the easiest life. She shares a lot of her struggles in this memoir and I'm sure putting yourself out there like that is difficult.
Demi might not appear in as many blockbuster movies as she did at the height of her fame, but she certainly still has A-list fame recognition. There was a lot of press for this memoir and so I assumed I had heard all of the "juicy" gossip bits ahead of time. However this book had a few stories that even I, a self-proclaimed pop culture junkie, had never heard including how 16 year old Demi had dinner with Roman Polanski a few days before he fled the U.S. after being convicted of raping a 13 year old girl. And on a much lighter note how the heck did I never know she and Bruce Willis were friends with John Goodman?
Survivor is a good word to describe Demi. She had a pretty messed up childhood, has been thru 3 divorces, has experienced both box office successes and disappointments, has had periods of estrangement from different family members, and battled addiction. And yet, she's still standing. She seems to be in a pretty good place right now and I would imagine writing this memoir proved to be a cathartic experience.
For the most part I think she did open up about her life and to me it didn't feel like she was doing so to assign blame or anything. In my opinion she didn't demonize her ex-husbands but instead showed some of the good and bad parts of their time spent together. Now I do think though she was fairly vague about some of the things that might have led to her daughters and Bruce not speaking to her for a few years. That's really the only instance in which I felt there was more to the story that she wasn't willing to share.
I am left with the impression she is trying to be the best version of herself she can be, and at the end of the day, isn't that the best any of us can do?
Definitely recommend if you enjoy reading celebrity memoirs. It was a fascinating read as it felt like you got an inside look into the life of a Hollywood star and also just regular ol' Demi, the woman who is pretty content living in Idaho.
December 26, 2020
I had no idea this is Demi Moore’s first memoir. In less than 300 pages, she shares her life. I both read and listened to this one via @librofm because Demi narrates it herself, and that made my experience nothing short of top shelf.
I also had no idea Demi Moore had such a challenging upbringing. Her family consisted of her on and off again, always fighting parents; a nearly absent, self-absorbed mother, a father who grappled with mental illness, and a younger brother with whom she was incredibly close. The light of her life was her grandmother who offered her some consistency. Demi shares it all, without sugarcoating it, baring her innermost thoughts.
I admire that Demi Moore told her story. Addiction, divorce, successes and lows, it’s here, and I appreciated the concise manner in which the story was written. Memoir fans will enjoy this, especially those who love an author narrated memoir. Demi’s sincerity shines through each chapter.
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
I also had no idea Demi Moore had such a challenging upbringing. Her family consisted of her on and off again, always fighting parents; a nearly absent, self-absorbed mother, a father who grappled with mental illness, and a younger brother with whom she was incredibly close. The light of her life was her grandmother who offered her some consistency. Demi shares it all, without sugarcoating it, baring her innermost thoughts.
I admire that Demi Moore told her story. Addiction, divorce, successes and lows, it’s here, and I appreciated the concise manner in which the story was written. Memoir fans will enjoy this, especially those who love an author narrated memoir. Demi’s sincerity shines through each chapter.
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
September 25, 2019
I really enjoyed listening to Demi’s memoir. It was nostalgic for me having had the pleasure of watching her career unfold as I grew up. I listened to this straight through, I couldn’t put it down.
April 13, 2020
My reviews can also be seen at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...
4.5 Stars!
I’ve enjoyed many of the movies that Demi Moore has starred in. I’ve read the tabloid stories and wondered how much of what I read was true. It was nice that the information was coming straight from Demi. Of course, there are always other sides to almost every story. But overall, I didn’t feel like Demi trashed anyone. She just told her truth.
This was a deeply personal look at Demi’s life and career. A childhood filled with trauma leading to insecurities and abandonment issues. Even as her career grew she battled issues like addiction and low self-esteem.
Money and fame really can’t buy happiness.
I was especially gripped by the last few chapters. I was honestly in tears and find myself tearing up even now as I remember some of the things she shared.
But Demi survived. And by all accounts, it seems like she’s now thriving.
I think this is one of my favorite memoirs and I’m glad I made the choice to listen to the audiobook. I loved that it was narrated by Demi.
Highly recommended!!
4.5 Stars!
I’ve enjoyed many of the movies that Demi Moore has starred in. I’ve read the tabloid stories and wondered how much of what I read was true. It was nice that the information was coming straight from Demi. Of course, there are always other sides to almost every story. But overall, I didn’t feel like Demi trashed anyone. She just told her truth.
This was a deeply personal look at Demi’s life and career. A childhood filled with trauma leading to insecurities and abandonment issues. Even as her career grew she battled issues like addiction and low self-esteem.
Money and fame really can’t buy happiness.
I was especially gripped by the last few chapters. I was honestly in tears and find myself tearing up even now as I remember some of the things she shared.
But Demi survived. And by all accounts, it seems like she’s now thriving.
I think this is one of my favorite memoirs and I’m glad I made the choice to listen to the audiobook. I loved that it was narrated by Demi.
Highly recommended!!
January 28, 2024
Lack of space prevents my including pictures here. To see the review with pics, go to my blog: https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
Demi Moore - born Demetria Guynes in Roswell, New Mexico in 1962 - is an American actress and film producer. Demi had an unruly upbringing with her nomadic parents, Ginny and Danny Guynes, who were always dodging trouble and bill collectors. Demi writes, "My dad was driven to succeed. He worked hard and he played hard. Sometimes too hard." Danny drank, got into fights, and scammed and conned people. Demi recalls, "Both of my parents had what you might call a relaxed relationship with the truth but I think my dad actually got joy out of feeling he could get one over on someone."
Demi's brother Morgan was born when she almost five, after which the Guynes' left New Mexico. Demi observes, "Soon after [Morgan] was born we left Roswell for California, the first of a series of moves that would define our childhood. My mother figured out that my dad was having an affair, so she did what she'd been taught to do by HER mother when your husband is fooling around. She got him away from the problem. It did not seem to occur to the women in my family that if you took your cheating husband along when you left the problem came with you wherever you went."
This happened again and again, propelling the family from place to place. Throughout their childhood, Demi and Morgan attended at least two new schools a year, and it was often more than that. When the family periodically returned to Roswell, "It felt like coming home."
Ginny and Danny were continually getting drunk, having affairs, breaking up, and getting back together. All this confused and disturbed the children. Demi remembers the constant fighting, screaming phone calls, and her mother stalking around the house sobbing histrionically. She says, "I felt they were equally to blame for the chaos in our lives." Eventually, Ginny and Danny divorced, but still got together frequently, unable to make a permanent break.
All this was too much for Ginny, who - when the family lived in Pennsylvania - tried to kill herself. Demi writes, "I remember using my fingers, the small fingers of a child, to dig the pills my mother had tried to swallow out of her mouth while my father held it open and told me what to do." This turned out to be the first of Ginny's many suicide attempts, and Demi remained constantly on the watch, feeling she had to 'help her parents clean up their messes.'
Living with unreliable parents made Demi a snoop, which led to the discovery that Danny wasn't her biological father. Demi's biological father was Charlie Harmon, Ginny's first husband. Danny wanted to keep it secret because he thought Demi wouldn't feel the same way about him. However once the truth came out, it was Danny who withdrew from Demi, spelling the end of their close relationship.
Luckily, Demi had relatives in California who were almost surrogate parents. When the Guynes' lived in Redondo Beach, her Aunt Deanna and Uncle George (Danny's brother) were a "huge comfort." Demi recalls, "They gave us rides when we needed them, fed us, listened to us when we had problems."
Though Demi's parents let her down time and again, she kept hoping her mother would change and become someone she could count on. It never happened. When Demi was 15, her mother would take her to bars, and Demi felt like she was bait for men, as well as Ginny's designated driver - though Demi had no driver's license. Demi observes "[Ginny's] self-absorption and suicide attempts came at my expense." As a result Demi made up her mind to NOT be like her mother.
While Demi was still a young teenager, however, she was driven to self-destructive behavior, like partying, hanging out with older boys, and giving in to their sexual demands. Thus Demi succumbed when her mother pimped her out to a middle-aged restaurateur named Val Doumas. Val was waiting inside the apartment when 15-year-old Demi got home from school - having received a key from Ginny - and just took it for granted the teenager would have sex with him.
Demi felt soiled by the episode, and even worse when Doumas later asked, "How does it feel to be whored by your mother for five hundred dollars?" Demi, who later became the mother of three girls, laments "That's NOT what a mother does."
It took a long time for Demi to realize she'd been raped. She says, "For decades, I didn’t even think of it as rape. I thought of it as something I caused, something I felt obligated to do because this man expected it from me. I had let him expect it from me. I was an easy mark for a predator." In Demi's view, the assault contributed to her subsequent substance abuse and anxiety problems.
The family's frequent moving and adjusting to new environments - as the Guynes' pinged around New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Ohio, California, and Washington - had a profound effect on Demi. She writes, "It's possible that all the adapting I had to do primed me to become an actress. It was my job to portray whatever character I thought would be most popular in every new school, in every new town."
Adolescent Demi became interested in acting when she met 17-year-old actress Nastassja Kinski at an apartment complex in California. German-born Nastassja had trouble with written English, and Demi helped her read her scripts. Demi admired Nastassja's beauty, talent and success, and thought of her as a role model.
By the age of 16 - when Demi was in an alternative high school and taking acting classes - she couldn't put up with her mother any longer. Demi moved out of the California apartment she shared with Ginny and moved in with a 28-year-old acting student named Tom Dunston. Soon afterwards, Demi left Dunston for 29-year-old musician Freddy Moore, a guitarist for the band 'The Kats.'
To make a financial contribution to the household, 17-year-old Demi agreed to pose for nude photos to be sold to magazines in Japan. Demi writes, "Fortunately, the photographer turned out to be very professional, even as he was encouraging me to strike all sorts of provocative poses. I was comforted when he told me about a Japanese law prohibiting photos showing pubic hair. I could tell myself I was only posing seminude, which seemed much better than the alternative." In any case the nude photos were Demi's ticket into fashion modeling, which provided a small income while she pursued acting.
When Demi was almost 18, her father Danny - who was an alcoholic with liver failure - committed suicide at the age of 36. Demi notes, "His blood alcohol level was so high that his death had to be ruled an accident. He was too drunk for the insurance company to label it a suicide. Consequently they were obliged to make a small payout, which dad left to Morgan. I guarantee you my dad had done his research and knew precisely how much he had to drink to make that happen. It was his final scam, one for the road."
A few months later Demi married Freddy Moore in a little Spanish church in Los Angeles, with Aunt Deanna and Uncle George in attendance. That's when the actress became Demi Moore. Demi's career started to pick up, with fashion modeling, a commercial, and a part in the soap opera General Hospital. But things weren't all rosy. Demi recalls, "On the surface I was hitting all my marks, but my internal compass sought outlets for my self doubt. I started drinking." This was the beginning of Demi's on-off drinking and drug use, which went on for many years.
In Demi's personal life, she was sabotaging her marriage to Freddy by cheating and indifference. At the age of 20, when Demi was in Brazil filming the movie Blame it on Rio, she partied non-stop, slept with her male roommate, and started using cocaine. Demi and Freddy's marriage ended when she got back to California.
In the next few years Demi made a series of films, including No Small Affair, St. Elmo's Fire, One Crazy Summer, About Last Night, We're No Angels, Ghost, The Butcher's Wife, A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal, Striptease, and G.I. Jane. Demi talks a bit about each movie, discussing things like the plot; her role; preparing to play the role; her co-stars; the director; how the film did at the box office; the reviews; audience reception; etc. Demi also talks about what was going on in her private life.
While filming St. Elmo's Fire, Demi was sent to rehab to kick alcohol and cocaine. But these addictions were replaced by body image issues, an eating disorder, and a compulsion to exercise. Demi says, "I was torn into a tailspin of terror and self-loathing. All my anxieties just shifted over to food. I used food as a kind of punishment for everything I thought was wrong and dirty about myself."
In her love life, Demi had sex with Jon Cryer, a one-night stand with Rob Lowe, and got engaged to Emilio Estevez before she met and married Bruce Willis, who was already a huge star.
Demi found some peace with Willis, and they soon had a baby daughter named Rumer and a home in Haley, Idaho. Demi says "[Haley] became my oasis. The place where I felt more at home than I ever have anywhere else. I still do. There's something about being surrounded by the Sawtooth Mountains, where the air is clear and cool and there's almost no noise at all, that soothes me and gives me a sense of peace."
During her second pregnancy, big-bellied Demi posed for a nude cover photo for Vanity Fair magazine - a picture she thought was artistic and beautiful. The photo was roundly excoriated, however, and the scathing article that went with it made things even worse. Demi writes, "I was portrayed as selfish, egotistical, and pampered, and that being Mrs. Bruce Willis had gone to my head, swelling it unmercifully." There were assertions that Demi was catered to on the set of The Butcher's Wife (where the interview occurred) and that she was a prima donna surrounded by sycophants. Demi reports, "The article had a subtle negative impact on my career."
Demi's success worsened her relationship with her mother. Ginny started selling stories and pictures of Demi to the tabloids, and - after Demi's nude photo shoot - Ginny started posing for nude photos herself "in a desperate bid for attention." Demi notes, "Ginny's behavior with the tabloids was what put me over the edge. I think it 's because I saw the potential this particular brand of lunacy had to hurt my kids." Demi broke off all contact with her mother after her second daughter Scout was born, and didn't speak to Ginny again for eight years.
Demi's soaring career also had a negative impact on her relationship with Bruce, who started to get agitated about her working away from him. Bruce's attitude gave Demi 'insight into his assumptions about gender roles and work.' Nevertheless, the couple strategized to make their careers and marriage succeed.
At one point, Demi was paid 12 million dollars for the movie Striptease, which made her the highest paid actress in Hollywood. This still wasn't close to Bruce's remuneration of 20 million dollars for a film, which is typical of the double standard regarding men's and women's salaries. Still, jealous critics dubbed Demi "Gimme Moore" while remaining shtum about Bruce's payday. (This is infuriating to me!!)
Demi and Bruce went on to have a third daughter, Tallulah, but their relationship was suffering. Demi notes "We were disconnected from each other emotionally. Our life was all about logistics surrounding the kids, and while Bruce was always proud of me doing well I don't know that he was always comfortable with the attention that came with it."
After Demi made GI Jane, she learned that her mother was dying from lung cancer and a brain tumor. Demi went to stay with her mom in Farmington, New Mexico, and came to 'an understanding' with Ginny before she died. During this time, Bruce and Demi ended their union, though they continued to co-parent successfully. To provide a stable home for her girls, Demi decided to put her career on hold and become a full-time mom. Demi settled into her home in Idaho, took care of her daughters, and pledged not to use alcohol, drugs, or food to get through her divorce.
In 2003, Demi revived her career by making Charlie's Angels Full Throttle. While Demi was in New York doing advanced press for the movie she met Ashton Kutcher, and it was kismet!! Demi and Ashton had an instant connection, though she was 15 years older than him. (People made a big deal out of this, but had nothing to say about Bruce Willis marrying a woman 25 years younger than himself. The hypocrisy is stunning!!)
Demi writes a good deal about her relationship with Ashton: the early euphoria; their decision to wed; a miscarriage when Demi was almost six months pregnant; their attempts to conceive again, including fertility treatments and IVF; incorporating threesomes into their sex life; and their eventual divorce.
During her relationship with Ashton, Demi fell off the wagon after years of sobriety. She writes, "Unlike what people imagine about addicts, that you have one drink and everything comes crashing down, in my case it was a gradual downward spiral. The decline in my sense of competence mirrored by substance abuse." When Demi got dead drunk at her 45th birthday party, and started passing out in a hot tub, Ashton was furious.
Things only got worse when Demi started using Vicodin, and the actress made up her mind to detox all by herself. She remembers, "It's one of the hardest things I ever had to do in my life. Going off opiates is agony. It's unimaginably excruciating. You can't sleep because your body hurts too much. It's like the worst flu you ever had times a hundred."
Ashton wasn't compassionate, got busy with other things, and became less and less present. Eventually Ashton cheated - twice - and the couple's marriage ended. Around this time, Demi's use of alcohol and recreational drugs increased, leading to an estrangement from her children. Demi writes, "The girls were angry I'd become so dependent on Ashton. I was addicted to him is the best way I can put it, and I did all the things that addicts do. I prioritized by addiction over my needs and the needs of my family."
It took years for Demi and her girls to reconcile.
Demi is philosophical about her failed relationships, and doesn't badmouth any of the men she dated or married. To recover from her third divorce, Demi worked with a therapist and went to rehab. In time, she became stronger and came to understand what went wrong. She observes, "I took care of everyone but myself. I had to figure out what I needed and wanted."
After Demi and her daughters healed their rift, they had a wonderful Christmas in Idaho, complete with everyone's cats and dogs - and matching pajamas Demi bought as gifts. Now, at the age of 56, Demi is stronger than ever, and poised for the next phase of her life.
For more anecdotes and celebrity gossip, read the book.
Demi Moore - born Demetria Guynes in Roswell, New Mexico in 1962 - is an American actress and film producer. Demi had an unruly upbringing with her nomadic parents, Ginny and Danny Guynes, who were always dodging trouble and bill collectors. Demi writes, "My dad was driven to succeed. He worked hard and he played hard. Sometimes too hard." Danny drank, got into fights, and scammed and conned people. Demi recalls, "Both of my parents had what you might call a relaxed relationship with the truth but I think my dad actually got joy out of feeling he could get one over on someone."
Demi's brother Morgan was born when she almost five, after which the Guynes' left New Mexico. Demi observes, "Soon after [Morgan] was born we left Roswell for California, the first of a series of moves that would define our childhood. My mother figured out that my dad was having an affair, so she did what she'd been taught to do by HER mother when your husband is fooling around. She got him away from the problem. It did not seem to occur to the women in my family that if you took your cheating husband along when you left the problem came with you wherever you went."
This happened again and again, propelling the family from place to place. Throughout their childhood, Demi and Morgan attended at least two new schools a year, and it was often more than that. When the family periodically returned to Roswell, "It felt like coming home."
Ginny and Danny were continually getting drunk, having affairs, breaking up, and getting back together. All this confused and disturbed the children. Demi remembers the constant fighting, screaming phone calls, and her mother stalking around the house sobbing histrionically. She says, "I felt they were equally to blame for the chaos in our lives." Eventually, Ginny and Danny divorced, but still got together frequently, unable to make a permanent break.
All this was too much for Ginny, who - when the family lived in Pennsylvania - tried to kill herself. Demi writes, "I remember using my fingers, the small fingers of a child, to dig the pills my mother had tried to swallow out of her mouth while my father held it open and told me what to do." This turned out to be the first of Ginny's many suicide attempts, and Demi remained constantly on the watch, feeling she had to 'help her parents clean up their messes.'
Living with unreliable parents made Demi a snoop, which led to the discovery that Danny wasn't her biological father. Demi's biological father was Charlie Harmon, Ginny's first husband. Danny wanted to keep it secret because he thought Demi wouldn't feel the same way about him. However once the truth came out, it was Danny who withdrew from Demi, spelling the end of their close relationship.
Luckily, Demi had relatives in California who were almost surrogate parents. When the Guynes' lived in Redondo Beach, her Aunt Deanna and Uncle George (Danny's brother) were a "huge comfort." Demi recalls, "They gave us rides when we needed them, fed us, listened to us when we had problems."
Though Demi's parents let her down time and again, she kept hoping her mother would change and become someone she could count on. It never happened. When Demi was 15, her mother would take her to bars, and Demi felt like she was bait for men, as well as Ginny's designated driver - though Demi had no driver's license. Demi observes "[Ginny's] self-absorption and suicide attempts came at my expense." As a result Demi made up her mind to NOT be like her mother.
While Demi was still a young teenager, however, she was driven to self-destructive behavior, like partying, hanging out with older boys, and giving in to their sexual demands. Thus Demi succumbed when her mother pimped her out to a middle-aged restaurateur named Val Doumas. Val was waiting inside the apartment when 15-year-old Demi got home from school - having received a key from Ginny - and just took it for granted the teenager would have sex with him.
Demi felt soiled by the episode, and even worse when Doumas later asked, "How does it feel to be whored by your mother for five hundred dollars?" Demi, who later became the mother of three girls, laments "That's NOT what a mother does."
It took a long time for Demi to realize she'd been raped. She says, "For decades, I didn’t even think of it as rape. I thought of it as something I caused, something I felt obligated to do because this man expected it from me. I had let him expect it from me. I was an easy mark for a predator." In Demi's view, the assault contributed to her subsequent substance abuse and anxiety problems.
The family's frequent moving and adjusting to new environments - as the Guynes' pinged around New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Ohio, California, and Washington - had a profound effect on Demi. She writes, "It's possible that all the adapting I had to do primed me to become an actress. It was my job to portray whatever character I thought would be most popular in every new school, in every new town."
Adolescent Demi became interested in acting when she met 17-year-old actress Nastassja Kinski at an apartment complex in California. German-born Nastassja had trouble with written English, and Demi helped her read her scripts. Demi admired Nastassja's beauty, talent and success, and thought of her as a role model.
By the age of 16 - when Demi was in an alternative high school and taking acting classes - she couldn't put up with her mother any longer. Demi moved out of the California apartment she shared with Ginny and moved in with a 28-year-old acting student named Tom Dunston. Soon afterwards, Demi left Dunston for 29-year-old musician Freddy Moore, a guitarist for the band 'The Kats.'
To make a financial contribution to the household, 17-year-old Demi agreed to pose for nude photos to be sold to magazines in Japan. Demi writes, "Fortunately, the photographer turned out to be very professional, even as he was encouraging me to strike all sorts of provocative poses. I was comforted when he told me about a Japanese law prohibiting photos showing pubic hair. I could tell myself I was only posing seminude, which seemed much better than the alternative." In any case the nude photos were Demi's ticket into fashion modeling, which provided a small income while she pursued acting.
When Demi was almost 18, her father Danny - who was an alcoholic with liver failure - committed suicide at the age of 36. Demi notes, "His blood alcohol level was so high that his death had to be ruled an accident. He was too drunk for the insurance company to label it a suicide. Consequently they were obliged to make a small payout, which dad left to Morgan. I guarantee you my dad had done his research and knew precisely how much he had to drink to make that happen. It was his final scam, one for the road."
A few months later Demi married Freddy Moore in a little Spanish church in Los Angeles, with Aunt Deanna and Uncle George in attendance. That's when the actress became Demi Moore. Demi's career started to pick up, with fashion modeling, a commercial, and a part in the soap opera General Hospital. But things weren't all rosy. Demi recalls, "On the surface I was hitting all my marks, but my internal compass sought outlets for my self doubt. I started drinking." This was the beginning of Demi's on-off drinking and drug use, which went on for many years.
In Demi's personal life, she was sabotaging her marriage to Freddy by cheating and indifference. At the age of 20, when Demi was in Brazil filming the movie Blame it on Rio, she partied non-stop, slept with her male roommate, and started using cocaine. Demi and Freddy's marriage ended when she got back to California.
In the next few years Demi made a series of films, including No Small Affair, St. Elmo's Fire, One Crazy Summer, About Last Night, We're No Angels, Ghost, The Butcher's Wife, A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal, Striptease, and G.I. Jane. Demi talks a bit about each movie, discussing things like the plot; her role; preparing to play the role; her co-stars; the director; how the film did at the box office; the reviews; audience reception; etc. Demi also talks about what was going on in her private life.
While filming St. Elmo's Fire, Demi was sent to rehab to kick alcohol and cocaine. But these addictions were replaced by body image issues, an eating disorder, and a compulsion to exercise. Demi says, "I was torn into a tailspin of terror and self-loathing. All my anxieties just shifted over to food. I used food as a kind of punishment for everything I thought was wrong and dirty about myself."
In her love life, Demi had sex with Jon Cryer, a one-night stand with Rob Lowe, and got engaged to Emilio Estevez before she met and married Bruce Willis, who was already a huge star.
Demi found some peace with Willis, and they soon had a baby daughter named Rumer and a home in Haley, Idaho. Demi says "[Haley] became my oasis. The place where I felt more at home than I ever have anywhere else. I still do. There's something about being surrounded by the Sawtooth Mountains, where the air is clear and cool and there's almost no noise at all, that soothes me and gives me a sense of peace."
During her second pregnancy, big-bellied Demi posed for a nude cover photo for Vanity Fair magazine - a picture she thought was artistic and beautiful. The photo was roundly excoriated, however, and the scathing article that went with it made things even worse. Demi writes, "I was portrayed as selfish, egotistical, and pampered, and that being Mrs. Bruce Willis had gone to my head, swelling it unmercifully." There were assertions that Demi was catered to on the set of The Butcher's Wife (where the interview occurred) and that she was a prima donna surrounded by sycophants. Demi reports, "The article had a subtle negative impact on my career."
Demi's success worsened her relationship with her mother. Ginny started selling stories and pictures of Demi to the tabloids, and - after Demi's nude photo shoot - Ginny started posing for nude photos herself "in a desperate bid for attention." Demi notes, "Ginny's behavior with the tabloids was what put me over the edge. I think it 's because I saw the potential this particular brand of lunacy had to hurt my kids." Demi broke off all contact with her mother after her second daughter Scout was born, and didn't speak to Ginny again for eight years.
Demi's soaring career also had a negative impact on her relationship with Bruce, who started to get agitated about her working away from him. Bruce's attitude gave Demi 'insight into his assumptions about gender roles and work.' Nevertheless, the couple strategized to make their careers and marriage succeed.
At one point, Demi was paid 12 million dollars for the movie Striptease, which made her the highest paid actress in Hollywood. This still wasn't close to Bruce's remuneration of 20 million dollars for a film, which is typical of the double standard regarding men's and women's salaries. Still, jealous critics dubbed Demi "Gimme Moore" while remaining shtum about Bruce's payday. (This is infuriating to me!!)
Demi and Bruce went on to have a third daughter, Tallulah, but their relationship was suffering. Demi notes "We were disconnected from each other emotionally. Our life was all about logistics surrounding the kids, and while Bruce was always proud of me doing well I don't know that he was always comfortable with the attention that came with it."
After Demi made GI Jane, she learned that her mother was dying from lung cancer and a brain tumor. Demi went to stay with her mom in Farmington, New Mexico, and came to 'an understanding' with Ginny before she died. During this time, Bruce and Demi ended their union, though they continued to co-parent successfully. To provide a stable home for her girls, Demi decided to put her career on hold and become a full-time mom. Demi settled into her home in Idaho, took care of her daughters, and pledged not to use alcohol, drugs, or food to get through her divorce.
In 2003, Demi revived her career by making Charlie's Angels Full Throttle. While Demi was in New York doing advanced press for the movie she met Ashton Kutcher, and it was kismet!! Demi and Ashton had an instant connection, though she was 15 years older than him. (People made a big deal out of this, but had nothing to say about Bruce Willis marrying a woman 25 years younger than himself. The hypocrisy is stunning!!)
Demi writes a good deal about her relationship with Ashton: the early euphoria; their decision to wed; a miscarriage when Demi was almost six months pregnant; their attempts to conceive again, including fertility treatments and IVF; incorporating threesomes into their sex life; and their eventual divorce.
During her relationship with Ashton, Demi fell off the wagon after years of sobriety. She writes, "Unlike what people imagine about addicts, that you have one drink and everything comes crashing down, in my case it was a gradual downward spiral. The decline in my sense of competence mirrored by substance abuse." When Demi got dead drunk at her 45th birthday party, and started passing out in a hot tub, Ashton was furious.
Things only got worse when Demi started using Vicodin, and the actress made up her mind to detox all by herself. She remembers, "It's one of the hardest things I ever had to do in my life. Going off opiates is agony. It's unimaginably excruciating. You can't sleep because your body hurts too much. It's like the worst flu you ever had times a hundred."
Ashton wasn't compassionate, got busy with other things, and became less and less present. Eventually Ashton cheated - twice - and the couple's marriage ended. Around this time, Demi's use of alcohol and recreational drugs increased, leading to an estrangement from her children. Demi writes, "The girls were angry I'd become so dependent on Ashton. I was addicted to him is the best way I can put it, and I did all the things that addicts do. I prioritized by addiction over my needs and the needs of my family."
It took years for Demi and her girls to reconcile.
Demi is philosophical about her failed relationships, and doesn't badmouth any of the men she dated or married. To recover from her third divorce, Demi worked with a therapist and went to rehab. In time, she became stronger and came to understand what went wrong. She observes, "I took care of everyone but myself. I had to figure out what I needed and wanted."
After Demi and her daughters healed their rift, they had a wonderful Christmas in Idaho, complete with everyone's cats and dogs - and matching pajamas Demi bought as gifts. Now, at the age of 56, Demi is stronger than ever, and poised for the next phase of her life.
For more anecdotes and celebrity gossip, read the book.
September 29, 2019
A wonderfully honest book, throwing it all out there. So much has happened to this woman and yet she is still strong and hopeful. This is an inspiring story from a woman that I can't admire more.
November 15, 2019
"Is this life? I wondered. "Because if this is it, I'm done. I don't know what I'm doing here."
Demi Moore's bio opens with her having a dark night of the soul. A very dark night. With her 50th birthday approaching, her personal and professional life in disarray, Demi ponders how she got to this point.
None of her three beloved daughters are speaking to her. She has two divorces under her belt. Her health is playing up. It seems that everything and everyone is conspiring against her, and she wonders why she struggled so hard to end up somewhere which was so far removed from where she wanted to be in her life.
I had no idea that Demi's early years were so tumultuous and fractured. It was certainly an unconventional and chaotic childhood, with parents that lived on the thrill of the high drama of their love-hate relationship. Constantly on the move to "escape" problems. Never settled. Jumping from one set of issues to the next.
I'm sure this constant angst and doubt about her self worth and never quite belonging anywhere helped Demi hone her acting skills from an early age. Being the new girl at school repeatedly from repeated moves, Demi had to rely on her instinct to work out how best to fit in. To be the chameleon who could blend seamlessly into her surroundings.
This is something she carried well into adulthood. Always the need to be someone else, to put on a "face" for what she expected other people wanted to see. It's a tough habit to undo. To truly be free to be yourself.
"What did I need to do to be accepted? Was it best to stand out or blend in? It would be decades before it occurred to me that I could be whoever I truly am, not the person I guessed other people wanted to see."
I think she's gorgeous. There are so many of her movies which I saw at the cinema. This book shows that no matter how beautiful, rich, thin, talented - you name it - you are, most people still suffer from human frailty. They hurt. And they medicate their insecurities in various ways. Drink, drugs, dieting. Fame & fortune don't necessarily make someone immune from the hurts of life. If anything it quite possibly compounds them, as their lives are lived under a microscope. Back when Demi started her career the press/paparazzi, and now social media, are there to document every single beautiful and ugly moment.
What appears to be a charmed life from the outside looking in, could instead be a goldfish bowl.
"...sounds like the perfect life. But as I would soon find out, if you carry a well of shame and unresolved trauma inside of you, no amount of money, no measure of success or celebrity, can fill it."
I admired the honesty throughout this book as Demi shared her story. At times her truth was brutal. The weight, sobriety, trust, promiscuity issues. Her extremely difficult and upsetting relationship with her mother, which only healed after she passed. Demi's thoughts on spirituality and the Universe as she started to sober up were insightful. I get it. The need to hand things over to a greater power.
The Epilogue is particularly touching. I get the sense that Demi is finally in a comfortable space. Both in her body and in her place in the world. Just as the book opens with her questioning her life, the ending has her pondering and accepting it. The good, the bad, the highs and lows. The people she has loved and the people she is yet to love.
And the Acknowledgements section is beautiful. She gives her heartfelt thanks to people who mean the world to her. It's extremely touching (and often humorous).
For me Demi ends the book on a positive note. There is still so much joy to look forward to. There is a sense of serenity. I wish her well.
"I belong. Here, in myself, in this house, on this planet."
September 24, 2019
“But we all suffer, and we all triumph, and we all get to choose how we hold both.”
Because I have to read celebrity memoirs for my job, I tend not to enjoy them as much as I would with other genres, but Demi Moore held back nothing, and it was well worth the read. She details everything from her tumultuous relationships with her mother and father, her past drug addictions, her relationships and everything in between. I normally skim these, but I was very interested in all the stories she had to tell. It’s very sad, but by the end it was definitely uplifting. Highly recommend if you’re into memoirs.
Because I have to read celebrity memoirs for my job, I tend not to enjoy them as much as I would with other genres, but Demi Moore held back nothing, and it was well worth the read. She details everything from her tumultuous relationships with her mother and father, her past drug addictions, her relationships and everything in between. I normally skim these, but I was very interested in all the stories she had to tell. It’s very sad, but by the end it was definitely uplifting. Highly recommend if you’re into memoirs.
January 5, 2021
3.5 stars
I was curious to hear Demi Moore’s story in Inside Out. I definitely learned a lot more about her in this than I knew before. I never knew the kind of life Demi lived before she became famous. Her childhood was beyond difficult and she brought some of those issues to her adulthood. Demi has overcome a lot. It was interesting learning about her relationships with both Bruce and Ashton and hearing more about her acting days and the struggles she went through. She did a great job narrating her story. I recommend this if you’re a big fan of Demi’s or are looking for a heavy/hard hitting memoir.
I was curious to hear Demi Moore’s story in Inside Out. I definitely learned a lot more about her in this than I knew before. I never knew the kind of life Demi lived before she became famous. Her childhood was beyond difficult and she brought some of those issues to her adulthood. Demi has overcome a lot. It was interesting learning about her relationships with both Bruce and Ashton and hearing more about her acting days and the struggles she went through. She did a great job narrating her story. I recommend this if you’re a big fan of Demi’s or are looking for a heavy/hard hitting memoir.
Audio book source: Hoopla (library borrow)
Story Rating: 3.5 stars
Narrator: Demi Moore
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Nonfiction/memoir
Length: 6 hours and 31 minutes
August 29, 2020
I remember watching Demi when she was first introduced on General Hospital. She was also part of the "Brat Pack" group of movie stars in the 1980's. I also remember she was featured in all my Tiger Beat and SuperTeen magazines I would purchase back then. I enjoyed a lot of her movies and who can forget the wonderful movie, "Ghost." I wasn't a hardcore fan of hers but I did follow her through the tabloids and magazines. Especially when she was married to Bruce Willis, and then Ashton Kutcher.
I enjoyed listening to her story. I feel she was pretty forthright and honest. I had no idea she had such a sad and disturbing childhood. She has had a lot of heartache battling addiction and health issues and not to mention her romantic life. She seems to be a fighter. The epilogue sounds like she is finally in a good place and enjoying her life. I liked the last sentence. "The only way out is in." Perfect ending to her story.
I enjoyed listening to her story. I feel she was pretty forthright and honest. I had no idea she had such a sad and disturbing childhood. She has had a lot of heartache battling addiction and health issues and not to mention her romantic life. She seems to be a fighter. The epilogue sounds like she is finally in a good place and enjoying her life. I liked the last sentence. "The only way out is in." Perfect ending to her story.
January 1, 2020
3.5 stars
When I think of Demi Moore I always think of the movie Ghost, which is equal parts sad and uplifting, much like this book. Demi narrates the audiobook, so I recommend going that route if you like audio books.
The beginning of the book focuses on what it was like growing up with parents who weren't really adults themselves. I found that dynamic to be more interesting than even her life as a young famous Hollywood actress. Though I did find her insights into her marriages also pretty captivating.
When I think of Demi Moore I always think of the movie Ghost, which is equal parts sad and uplifting, much like this book. Demi narrates the audiobook, so I recommend going that route if you like audio books.
The beginning of the book focuses on what it was like growing up with parents who weren't really adults themselves. I found that dynamic to be more interesting than even her life as a young famous Hollywood actress. Though I did find her insights into her marriages also pretty captivating.
May 4, 2020
"My story is mine alone."
INSIDE OUT depicts Demi Moore's life as a child, actress, mother of three daughters and wife to three husbands.
It's hard to believe that any woman as talented and beautiful as Demi could have any self-doubt or insecurity issues, but as I delved into her novel, I can now understand some of her struggles.
To say she had a tumultuous, unstable childhood is being kind. Her upbringing was crazy, unpredictable and could be compared to the schedule of a traveling circus with discovery of shocking secrets along the way. Tough life for a kid and teen especially when you do not have the support of your parents....mother in particular who often left you on your own and treated you as an object that can be used as bait.
Demi admits to having kidney disease, alcohol, cocaine and prescription drug abuse, undergoing treatment for same, and a sexual assault at the young age of 15. You won't believe how that came about.
Anyway, despite everything, Demi professes to have loved her mother and has tried to be the kind of mother she never had. She is by no means perfect and has made some poor decisions in her lifetime, but has also survived a lot. I haven't seen all of her movies, but particularly enjoyed A Few Good Men and Ghost.
INSIDE OUT is a fast, revealing read with a good variety of photographs at its conclusion.
October 4, 2019
FIVE +++++MAGNIFICENT STARS**********
It's been a while since a read a memoir that I couldn't put down. Demi Moore's story is so fascinating, provocative, and honest. She holds nothing back while sharing her life with us readers inside the pages of her book. This story goes to show how us, as public we are always thinking that because celebrities have money and fame that all that automatically translates into happiness, but as Demi so candidly shares, that is not the case. I've always been an admirer of Demi Moore, mainly because I'd enjoyed her work in movies, and her beauty but after reading Inside Out I'm completely inspired by her, shes one hell of a courageous woman.
We get to learn about her difficult childhood and teenage years, and how her complicated relationship with her mother shaped Demi into the insecure woman that learned from a very young age to hide her troubles behind a dazzling smile. Her difficult early years also taught her independence and strong, and professional work ethic. One thing is for sure, every single accomplishment in her life, Demi has earned.
This book is really extraordinary, it reads just like a beautiful and heartbreaking love story, that I promise you will keep you glued to every chapter, and wishing it wouldn't end. Not only do I have new found respect for Demi Moore, but I am so happy that she shared her life story with us, because in her own story I found many aspects of mine, and it gives me hope and strength.
It's been a while since a read a memoir that I couldn't put down. Demi Moore's story is so fascinating, provocative, and honest. She holds nothing back while sharing her life with us readers inside the pages of her book. This story goes to show how us, as public we are always thinking that because celebrities have money and fame that all that automatically translates into happiness, but as Demi so candidly shares, that is not the case. I've always been an admirer of Demi Moore, mainly because I'd enjoyed her work in movies, and her beauty but after reading Inside Out I'm completely inspired by her, shes one hell of a courageous woman.
We get to learn about her difficult childhood and teenage years, and how her complicated relationship with her mother shaped Demi into the insecure woman that learned from a very young age to hide her troubles behind a dazzling smile. Her difficult early years also taught her independence and strong, and professional work ethic. One thing is for sure, every single accomplishment in her life, Demi has earned.
This book is really extraordinary, it reads just like a beautiful and heartbreaking love story, that I promise you will keep you glued to every chapter, and wishing it wouldn't end. Not only do I have new found respect for Demi Moore, but I am so happy that she shared her life story with us, because in her own story I found many aspects of mine, and it gives me hope and strength.
January 4, 2020
This Demi Moore biography was a bit of a shock to me. I enjoy reading biographies but I didn't really have any idea of this popular actress's life so it came as a bit of a shock.
Behind the successful highly paid actress there is a dark past where she battled addiction, body image, was raped at 15 and endured a very strange relationship with her mother. She opens up in this book to tell of her marriages, her relationship with her mother and trying to balance a successful career with raising a family.
An absorbing read.
Behind the successful highly paid actress there is a dark past where she battled addiction, body image, was raped at 15 and endured a very strange relationship with her mother. She opens up in this book to tell of her marriages, her relationship with her mother and trying to balance a successful career with raising a family.
An absorbing read.
September 29, 2019
I support women speaking their truth, but Demi takes no responsibility for her life and blames everyone from her mother to her children for her issues without any true reflection on herself. This is a poorly written and hollow story that could have been so much more.
January 11, 2020
I was amazed how much I actually knew about Demi Moore as I don't consider myself someone who follows private lives of celebrities in general. Guess I would’ve had to have been living under a rock to avoid the media circus that followed this talented, famous movie actress everywhere she went, reporting on her every move.
Demi's memoir was articulate, unputdownable, engaging, honest, and emotional. Even though I haven't experienced most of what she's been through, I could completely relate and empathise with her feelings, and found myself nodding in agreement and murmuring under my breath, marvelling over the actress’s ability to express her thoughts so well. Demi both owned and took responsibility for her mistakes, but never placed the blame squarely on her shoulders, because as the saying goes, ‘It Takes Two to Tango’.
The 256 page book was written chronologically, and broken up into three parts: Survival – early years, Success – rise to fame, her marriage to Bruce Willis, and birth of their three daughters, and Surrender – her marriage to Ashton Kutcher, and subsequent breakdown when their relationship ended. Demi was extremely forthcoming and brave when it came to sharing intimate details of her life – abuse, rape, addiction, eating disorder, depression, infertility issues, and miscarriage. Tough and heartbreaking to absorb how much she went through.
What struck me the most was how traumatic her childhood was. I had no idea she’d been forced to leave home at just sixteen. Around the time a heavily pregnant Demi featured on the cover of Vanity Fair, I do recall reading that her mother was difficult and fame hungry, but didn't realise she'd had such a hard time growing up. I have so much admiration for the level of forgiveness and acceptance Demi has shown, and honestly don't know if I would be able to do the same in her situation. But, I 100% agree with her – bitterness and resentment are unhealthy emotions.
On the lighter side, I loved hearing little tidbits from the movies she worked on, and other famous celebrities she worked with. I purchased a copy of the book, but ended up listening to the entire thing via the Libby app (read by Demi) and it was an amazing experience!
Demi's story is one I recommend to all. Huge thank you to her for writing and sharing her heartfelt journey. Long may she continue to find happiness, peace, and acceptance of the things she cannot change, because she deserves it. I wish her the best.
Now I really want to watch Ghost, and About Last Night again.
Demi's memoir was articulate, unputdownable, engaging, honest, and emotional. Even though I haven't experienced most of what she's been through, I could completely relate and empathise with her feelings, and found myself nodding in agreement and murmuring under my breath, marvelling over the actress’s ability to express her thoughts so well. Demi both owned and took responsibility for her mistakes, but never placed the blame squarely on her shoulders, because as the saying goes, ‘It Takes Two to Tango’.
The 256 page book was written chronologically, and broken up into three parts: Survival – early years, Success – rise to fame, her marriage to Bruce Willis, and birth of their three daughters, and Surrender – her marriage to Ashton Kutcher, and subsequent breakdown when their relationship ended. Demi was extremely forthcoming and brave when it came to sharing intimate details of her life – abuse, rape, addiction, eating disorder, depression, infertility issues, and miscarriage. Tough and heartbreaking to absorb how much she went through.
What struck me the most was how traumatic her childhood was. I had no idea she’d been forced to leave home at just sixteen. Around the time a heavily pregnant Demi featured on the cover of Vanity Fair, I do recall reading that her mother was difficult and fame hungry, but didn't realise she'd had such a hard time growing up. I have so much admiration for the level of forgiveness and acceptance Demi has shown, and honestly don't know if I would be able to do the same in her situation. But, I 100% agree with her – bitterness and resentment are unhealthy emotions.
On the lighter side, I loved hearing little tidbits from the movies she worked on, and other famous celebrities she worked with. I purchased a copy of the book, but ended up listening to the entire thing via the Libby app (read by Demi) and it was an amazing experience!
Demi's story is one I recommend to all. Huge thank you to her for writing and sharing her heartfelt journey. Long may she continue to find happiness, peace, and acceptance of the things she cannot change, because she deserves it. I wish her the best.
Now I really want to watch Ghost, and About Last Night again.
September 27, 2019
There is a step in Twelve Step recovery — the 4th step — that asks that we take a "searching and fearless moral inventory," of ourselves. Demi Moore got sober in the mid-1980s, but never spoke very publicly about it. There were hints, always, in interviews she gave. She told one reporter she was currently reading, The Sermon on the Mount, a book that every 12-step recovery person would know. It was a foundational book by Emmett Fox and widely read by the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous. In the 80s, 12-step recovery became widespread. Those of us in recovery knew of the many celebrities who were sober, including Demi.
I read this book and I think I will re-read parts. What is most gripping are the chapters on childhood and young adulthood: being a misfit; growing up with alcohol and pill-addicted parents; always on shaky ground; never popular; getting sober; switching addictions to food and other people.
This is honest. She talks about the early days in her career. Although she was not drinking she was overeating. "I woke up covered in crumbs."
Later, she switched her focus to her high-profile husbands. No matter how rich, successful, she was still co-dependent and insecure. "Who am I if you don't love me?" Wow, who can't relate to that.
Thank you, Demi Moore, for being so honest. Also, thank you for sharing your experience of growing and aging. These are really the best years. Really they are. As we age we "fall upward," as Father Richard Rohr says in his book of the same name. These can be the richest spiritual years. I am embracing them with arms wide open.
I read this book and I think I will re-read parts. What is most gripping are the chapters on childhood and young adulthood: being a misfit; growing up with alcohol and pill-addicted parents; always on shaky ground; never popular; getting sober; switching addictions to food and other people.
This is honest. She talks about the early days in her career. Although she was not drinking she was overeating. "I woke up covered in crumbs."
Later, she switched her focus to her high-profile husbands. No matter how rich, successful, she was still co-dependent and insecure. "Who am I if you don't love me?" Wow, who can't relate to that.
Thank you, Demi Moore, for being so honest. Also, thank you for sharing your experience of growing and aging. These are really the best years. Really they are. As we age we "fall upward," as Father Richard Rohr says in his book of the same name. These can be the richest spiritual years. I am embracing them with arms wide open.
March 5, 2020
I wouldn't say I'm some big fan of Demi Moore. I grew up seeing her on-screen, I remember her striking eyes and unique voice. I knew she'd married Bruce Willis and had a few kids, that she went on to marry Ashton Kutcher and the tabloids couldn't get enough of their relationship, and of course I remember her Vanity Fair cover by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz.
I usually pick up memoirs randomly at the library and this was no exception. It happened to be on the shelf so I said, "Sure, why not?"
I ended up reading this almost entirely in one sitting!
Demi is honest about her rough childhood moving constantly with her parents who weren't really capable of taking care of her and her brother because they were so wrapped up in their own drama. She spends years trying to heal that hurt and I was overwhelmed by the strength she had to take care of her mom in her final months and make peace with their history.
She struck out on her own at just sixteen and worked pretty steadily in film from there. She discusses her broken engagement to Emilio Estevez, whirlwind romance with Bruce Willis, her struggles with addiction and fame, the roles that made her the highest paid actress in Hollywood (wow, there are so many!), the complicated relationship with her parents, and raising her daughters. I was surprised at the information she was willing to share about her relationship with Ashton Kutcher but it was written in an emotionally honest way that didn't feel like juicy details given just to sell her book.
Inside Out is Demi Moore's engaging life story and she doesn't hold back, sharing with readers her successes and failures and owning her part in it all.
(Trigger warnings for rape, abuse, details of addiction/eating disorder, and miscarriage.)
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
I usually pick up memoirs randomly at the library and this was no exception. It happened to be on the shelf so I said, "Sure, why not?"
I ended up reading this almost entirely in one sitting!
Demi is honest about her rough childhood moving constantly with her parents who weren't really capable of taking care of her and her brother because they were so wrapped up in their own drama. She spends years trying to heal that hurt and I was overwhelmed by the strength she had to take care of her mom in her final months and make peace with their history.
She struck out on her own at just sixteen and worked pretty steadily in film from there. She discusses her broken engagement to Emilio Estevez, whirlwind romance with Bruce Willis, her struggles with addiction and fame, the roles that made her the highest paid actress in Hollywood (wow, there are so many!), the complicated relationship with her parents, and raising her daughters. I was surprised at the information she was willing to share about her relationship with Ashton Kutcher but it was written in an emotionally honest way that didn't feel like juicy details given just to sell her book.
Inside Out is Demi Moore's engaging life story and she doesn't hold back, sharing with readers her successes and failures and owning her part in it all.
(Trigger warnings for rape, abuse, details of addiction/eating disorder, and miscarriage.)
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
February 17, 2020
I know that sounds like the perfect life. But as I would soon find out, if you carry a well of shame and unresolved trauma inside of you, no amount of money, no measure of success or celebrity, can fill it.
Demi Moore's Inside Out was recommended to me by my therapist. She said she was utterly captivated by the story and thinks everyone should read it. I started reading it Friday evening and spent my whole night bein immersed into Moore's world. Demi Moore shares with us how she grew up in an unstable family, surrounded my toxic masculinity, unrest and constantly being uprooted. She left home very young and had to fend for herself. She fell into addiction, bad company and a lot of things that she had to overcome and I enjoyed the journey.
This was such a powerful read for me because it really talks about shame and how being broken affects every area of your life. A raw and honest look. I liked that the entire read felt real and Demi really showed us the real her.
A really great read.
Demi Moore's Inside Out was recommended to me by my therapist. She said she was utterly captivated by the story and thinks everyone should read it. I started reading it Friday evening and spent my whole night bein immersed into Moore's world. Demi Moore shares with us how she grew up in an unstable family, surrounded my toxic masculinity, unrest and constantly being uprooted. She left home very young and had to fend for herself. She fell into addiction, bad company and a lot of things that she had to overcome and I enjoyed the journey.
This was such a powerful read for me because it really talks about shame and how being broken affects every area of your life. A raw and honest look. I liked that the entire read felt real and Demi really showed us the real her.
A really great read.
November 20, 2019
1 & 1/2 stars
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: Harper
Pub. Date: September 24, 2019
Don’t bother. The blurb says that Moore is brutally honest. And she is. It is just that we already knew her faults. Yes, I agree that she had a horrendous childhood, which led to making bad life choices including addictions that led to her daughters not speaking to their mother for a couple of years. But I confess, I wanted dirt on the men in her life, she really only dishes out complaints on her last husband. And, yes I am judging when I say that it was weird that she considered him a co-parent to her girls when he was just a few years older than her oldest teenage daughter. Being with a younger man, I say, good for her, involving them in her children’s’ lives, not so good, at least in my mind. The book reads as a here is a “my side of the story” memoir. Not to mention that this is a poorly written book and plain old boring. I could only recommend this one if you are a young woman struggling with self -esteem as a “this is what you do not do” book.
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Genre: Memoir
Publisher: Harper
Pub. Date: September 24, 2019
Don’t bother. The blurb says that Moore is brutally honest. And she is. It is just that we already knew her faults. Yes, I agree that she had a horrendous childhood, which led to making bad life choices including addictions that led to her daughters not speaking to their mother for a couple of years. But I confess, I wanted dirt on the men in her life, she really only dishes out complaints on her last husband. And, yes I am judging when I say that it was weird that she considered him a co-parent to her girls when he was just a few years older than her oldest teenage daughter. Being with a younger man, I say, good for her, involving them in her children’s’ lives, not so good, at least in my mind. The book reads as a here is a “my side of the story” memoir. Not to mention that this is a poorly written book and plain old boring. I could only recommend this one if you are a young woman struggling with self -esteem as a “this is what you do not do” book.
Find all my book reviews at:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
https://books6259.wordpress.com/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/review...
https://www.facebook.com/martie.neesr...
https://www.instagram.com/martie6947/
https://www.pinterest.com/martienreco...\
https://www.amazon.com/
https://twitter.com/NeesRecord
March 21, 2020
I’ve always loved Demi Moore (and for that matter, Ally Sheedy: where is your memoir, please?) largely on the basis of WAY too many unsupervised watches of St. Elmo’s Fire when I was waaaay too young of a working-class Midwestern child to even remotely understand it.
Seriously, this film was literally ALWAYS on cable, and for some reason (I think it was partly its theme song, which I still stan today), I couldn’t ever NOT watch it, even though I had the most tenuous grasp of its plot points.
First of all, since I could not have been more than 12 myself, I thought everyone in the film was easily about fifty years old. (I know, I know, foolish youth...karma’s a bitch, though, because here I sit in 2020, exponentially, realistically older, while half the original cast somehow looks the same age as, or even younger than, they did then.)
In any case, thinking that the film’s main characters were on the verge of eligibility for social security collection, I completely missed that they were supposed to be newly-adulting recent graduates. The fact that half of the characters wore pearls and trench coats and decorative neck scarves and other yuppie clothing, the likes of which I had never seen in my rusty neck of the country, probably served as a font of my confusion. That being said, I was also confused as to why these 50 year-olds still behaved so strangely and immaturely, what with all the rampant infighting, yelling of odd nonsensical chants, and, in the case of Demi’s character Jules (always beware a character named Jules), wearing weird Madonna hair bows with her fancy dress, crying about her “stepmonster” in her charismatically gravelly voice (why was a 50 year old so incredibly upset about her stepmother, still, I wondered?), and causing mass alarm among her entire friend group by...leaving all her apartment windows open so that Rob Lowe had to shimmy up a drainpipe or something and bust in all cat burglar-like to keep her from ...freezing to death??
(I know we’ve had some global warming since, but it seems like it’s pretty much always at least 70 degrees and super humid in the DC area (where the film is set and where I now live**), and I’ve definitely left the windows open pretty much year-round in any apartment I’ve ever occupied around here, with absolutely no self-directed malicious intent, so this movie scene remains mystifying to me today. I’m sure that the actual risk being alluded to was something like overdose, and that there were ample veiled 80s cocaine and pill references going on in the film that I missed, being barely over 10 and fully immersed in the Just Say No campaign.)
Regardless of the confusion, one thing remained clear: Jules/Demi was clearly captivating as shit and thus fully deserved to provoke whatever mayhem, including but not limited to a break-in Rob Lowe rescue.
All of this is to say: I loved Demi then and love her even more now after reading this memoir. Whether or not you had a misguided childhood obsession with one of her films, I strongly recommend it. It’s solid, interesting, moving, and a true-life rags to riches Hollywood story that is also very relevant at a time when we have hopefully become more aware of the risks and stressors of being a woman in Hollywood, particularly a pioneering one like Demi. There is surprisingly engaging content around all kinds of issues including physical and mental health challenges, substance abuse, eating and exercise disorders, parenthood, and relationships with parents. All the industry and movie-making/star-related gossip is not salaciously presented; it’s subdued and respectful but still intriguing. (Guys, she got discovered for the role of Jules as she was spotted rushing down a flight of stairs in a building!) 😍
Best of all, if you dislike Ashton Kutcher as much as I do, this book won’t do anything to disrupt that, but without going all overboard about it or giving him the reward of excessive negative attention. As this book makes abundantly clear, he is literally the least interesting aspect of her life.
I listened to the audiobook, which I HIGHLY recommend, as Demi does a stellar job reading it in her amazing voice. The book is particularly well written for a celebrity memoir, as Demi worked with the talented Ariel Schrag, a star in her own right. In all, a favorite of the many celebrity memoirs I’ve read lately.
Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to throw open wide all my windows and doors and await Rob Lowe’s arrival; it’s a bone-chilling 51 degrees, so I think chances are good.
Read it!! Go get your hands on it like it’s a piece of wet clay and Patrick Swayze is nestled close in behind you!
**(Fun Fact: I also think it’s hilarious, and perhaps predestined, that I have ended up living/working for over a decade fairly close to Georgetown University, which I only MUCH later understood that the characters of St. Elmo’s Fire were supposed to have attended. Yep, this lovely film of my youth - viewed countless times before I had ever been ANYWHERE outside my childhood neighborhood - is ostensibly set in what essentially became my actual adult world decades later: lol lol lol, because it seems to bear no resemblance at all to actual DC.)
Seriously, this film was literally ALWAYS on cable, and for some reason (I think it was partly its theme song, which I still stan today), I couldn’t ever NOT watch it, even though I had the most tenuous grasp of its plot points.
First of all, since I could not have been more than 12 myself, I thought everyone in the film was easily about fifty years old. (I know, I know, foolish youth...karma’s a bitch, though, because here I sit in 2020, exponentially, realistically older, while half the original cast somehow looks the same age as, or even younger than, they did then.)
In any case, thinking that the film’s main characters were on the verge of eligibility for social security collection, I completely missed that they were supposed to be newly-adulting recent graduates. The fact that half of the characters wore pearls and trench coats and decorative neck scarves and other yuppie clothing, the likes of which I had never seen in my rusty neck of the country, probably served as a font of my confusion. That being said, I was also confused as to why these 50 year-olds still behaved so strangely and immaturely, what with all the rampant infighting, yelling of odd nonsensical chants, and, in the case of Demi’s character Jules (always beware a character named Jules), wearing weird Madonna hair bows with her fancy dress, crying about her “stepmonster” in her charismatically gravelly voice (why was a 50 year old so incredibly upset about her stepmother, still, I wondered?), and causing mass alarm among her entire friend group by...leaving all her apartment windows open so that Rob Lowe had to shimmy up a drainpipe or something and bust in all cat burglar-like to keep her from ...freezing to death??
(I know we’ve had some global warming since, but it seems like it’s pretty much always at least 70 degrees and super humid in the DC area (where the film is set and where I now live**), and I’ve definitely left the windows open pretty much year-round in any apartment I’ve ever occupied around here, with absolutely no self-directed malicious intent, so this movie scene remains mystifying to me today. I’m sure that the actual risk being alluded to was something like overdose, and that there were ample veiled 80s cocaine and pill references going on in the film that I missed, being barely over 10 and fully immersed in the Just Say No campaign.)
Regardless of the confusion, one thing remained clear: Jules/Demi was clearly captivating as shit and thus fully deserved to provoke whatever mayhem, including but not limited to a break-in Rob Lowe rescue.
All of this is to say: I loved Demi then and love her even more now after reading this memoir. Whether or not you had a misguided childhood obsession with one of her films, I strongly recommend it. It’s solid, interesting, moving, and a true-life rags to riches Hollywood story that is also very relevant at a time when we have hopefully become more aware of the risks and stressors of being a woman in Hollywood, particularly a pioneering one like Demi. There is surprisingly engaging content around all kinds of issues including physical and mental health challenges, substance abuse, eating and exercise disorders, parenthood, and relationships with parents. All the industry and movie-making/star-related gossip is not salaciously presented; it’s subdued and respectful but still intriguing. (Guys, she got discovered for the role of Jules as she was spotted rushing down a flight of stairs in a building!) 😍
Best of all, if you dislike Ashton Kutcher as much as I do, this book won’t do anything to disrupt that, but without going all overboard about it or giving him the reward of excessive negative attention. As this book makes abundantly clear, he is literally the least interesting aspect of her life.
I listened to the audiobook, which I HIGHLY recommend, as Demi does a stellar job reading it in her amazing voice. The book is particularly well written for a celebrity memoir, as Demi worked with the talented Ariel Schrag, a star in her own right. In all, a favorite of the many celebrity memoirs I’ve read lately.
Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to throw open wide all my windows and doors and await Rob Lowe’s arrival; it’s a bone-chilling 51 degrees, so I think chances are good.
Read it!! Go get your hands on it like it’s a piece of wet clay and Patrick Swayze is nestled close in behind you!
**(Fun Fact: I also think it’s hilarious, and perhaps predestined, that I have ended up living/working for over a decade fairly close to Georgetown University, which I only MUCH later understood that the characters of St. Elmo’s Fire were supposed to have attended. Yep, this lovely film of my youth - viewed countless times before I had ever been ANYWHERE outside my childhood neighborhood - is ostensibly set in what essentially became my actual adult world decades later: lol lol lol, because it seems to bear no resemblance at all to actual DC.)
October 26, 2019
This book gave me a much clearer understanding of Demi Moore. Her sad and tumultuous upbringing a big catalyst for her inability to connect deeply in relationships she basically built a wall around herself, her need to be independent and strong leading her to detach herself emotionally, this strength gave her the ammunition to put herself out there in her movie roles, but even though she was once one of the highest paid actresses of her time she still highlights the gender inequality, her husband Bruce earning twice as much as her in the same period, she also highlights the difference between women dating younger men versus men dating younger women, nobody flinched when her ex husband moved on with a much younger wife whereas Demi copped scrutiny for dating and marrying Ashton Kutcher a man 16 years younger than her. I like that Demi owned up to her insecurities making her appear vulnerable and relatable. She isn’t without blame and she owns her part in her relationship breakdowns including her fractured relationships with her much loved daughters. By the end of this book I sensed Demi making peace with her past and forgiving her parents allowing her to heal and move to a better place.
January 24, 2021
Inside Out by Demi Moore is raw and revealing. Being extremely vulnerable, Moore tells her story and doesn't hold back some very dark details of her life. She is compelled to be honest as a result of her life circumstances - things are not great for Moore and often have not been. She has struggled with a number of difficult addictions, abuses, and disorders. She does not have a fairytale upbringing and definitely has not had a fairytale life in stardom. Her success as an actress could never make up for her awful childhood.
I did not know (and why would I?) that Moore had extremely dark struggles and a very painful childhood. She came from nothing; less than nothing even. She carries a lifetime of insecurities and pain on her shoulders. From picking up a magazine or a movie review, you'd never known what Moore has gone through.
Hearing her story made her feel human. I did not go into Moore's memoir expecting so much intimacy and emotion. But she doesn't hold back. It always catches me off guard when I find myself relating to a celebrity. Like, how is that possible? I'm just me and she's, well, her. But we're the same in that we're both human and both experience pain, hurt, betrayal, shame. Before listening to this book, if you had asked me if I had anything in common with Demi Moore, I would have laughed and said "no way." But that's definitely not true.
I did not know (and why would I?) that Moore had extremely dark struggles and a very painful childhood. She came from nothing; less than nothing even. She carries a lifetime of insecurities and pain on her shoulders. From picking up a magazine or a movie review, you'd never known what Moore has gone through.
Hearing her story made her feel human. I did not go into Moore's memoir expecting so much intimacy and emotion. But she doesn't hold back. It always catches me off guard when I find myself relating to a celebrity. Like, how is that possible? I'm just me and she's, well, her. But we're the same in that we're both human and both experience pain, hurt, betrayal, shame. Before listening to this book, if you had asked me if I had anything in common with Demi Moore, I would have laughed and said "no way." But that's definitely not true.
March 18, 2021
Demi Moore is the same age as I am, so I could relate to to the time she grew up in. Her parents were very young when they had her. And her early life was full of domestic drama and frequent moves - just ahead of the law.
It's truly amazing she survived such a hardscrabble life with a volatile mother and found her way to Hollywood. Her young marriage makes sense and I wonder what would have happened to her if she hadn't been successful on General Hospital.
While she goes into warts-and-all descriptions of her young life, she is more circumspect in describing her marriage to Bruce Willis and Ashton Kushner.
She admits that her daughters didn't speak to her for awhile, but that she had extensive therapy to deal with her issues and now things are better. I appreciate that she has to respect their privacy and I sympathize with all of them. Fame and money can't fix everything.
I came away from the book with a sense of what a difficult life Demi Moore has lived and I hope she'll find that sense of home and belonging that she's always searched for.
Also, men in the 70's got away with so much. *sigh*
It's truly amazing she survived such a hardscrabble life with a volatile mother and found her way to Hollywood. Her young marriage makes sense and I wonder what would have happened to her if she hadn't been successful on General Hospital.
While she goes into warts-and-all descriptions of her young life, she is more circumspect in describing her marriage to Bruce Willis and Ashton Kushner.
She admits that her daughters didn't speak to her for awhile, but that she had extensive therapy to deal with her issues and now things are better. I appreciate that she has to respect their privacy and I sympathize with all of them. Fame and money can't fix everything.
I came away from the book with a sense of what a difficult life Demi Moore has lived and I hope she'll find that sense of home and belonging that she's always searched for.
Also, men in the 70's got away with so much. *sigh*
February 27, 2023
5 Stars for Inside Out (audiobook) by Demi Moore read by the author.
I’ve enjoyed many of Demi Moore’s movies and I remember the photo shoot that she did why’ll she was pregnant. She’s been at the forefront of changing female stereotypes in popular culture for most of her career. But I had no idea where she came from. Like many of the actresses that I’ve read about, her childhood was tragic. That seems to be where these women learn to act. They learn to play out certain roles in front of adults to survive at a very young age.
It was also interesting to hear how she met her two husbands and how those relationships worked. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to live under such scrutiny. Ultimately I learned a lot about her life life. I’m sure some things were glossed over but I enjoyed the story.
I’ve enjoyed many of Demi Moore’s movies and I remember the photo shoot that she did why’ll she was pregnant. She’s been at the forefront of changing female stereotypes in popular culture for most of her career. But I had no idea where she came from. Like many of the actresses that I’ve read about, her childhood was tragic. That seems to be where these women learn to act. They learn to play out certain roles in front of adults to survive at a very young age.
It was also interesting to hear how she met her two husbands and how those relationships worked. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to live under such scrutiny. Ultimately I learned a lot about her life life. I’m sure some things were glossed over but I enjoyed the story.
February 8, 2023
Demi Moore was one of my favorite actresses when I was younger. I saw many of her movies and Ghost is among my favorites.
I didn't make it a mission to read her memoir, but I borrowed the audiobook from the library and after listening to it, I am very happy I did.
I loved it. Without any doubt, I put it right next to Open, Agassi's memoir, because I appreciated the honesty, the vulnerability, the daring of telling everything no matter what it would happen afterwards.
And her conclusion, that she decided it was time for HER to tell her story, not the tabloids, not her mother, not the so-called friends around, it was exactly what I think every celebrity should do.
The truth and the motives are constantly distorted, and we very rarely hear both sides of the story, we rarely are presented with all the facts, situations, and emotions involved.
Demi Moore had a very broken and dysfunctional family because of whom she started early with sex, drugs, and alcohol. However, she learned all the lessons, changed her habits and focused on becoming the best paid actress of her time.
Then she details all her fears, insecurities, and body image issues which she struggled all her live with. She spoke so beautifully of her three husbands, she pointed out her mistakes, their mistakes and the reasons why everything happened. She is very honest about her feelings, very fair towards both Bruce Willis and Ashton Kutcher, very loving to her daughters, and incredibly supportive of women in this cruel industry. I loved her stories about the infamous Vanity Fair cover when she posed naked and pregnant, about her roles in A few Good Men, Striptease, and GI Jane - all movies and moments where she depicted strong women who were supposed to be regarded as such, but she was trashed in the media for various stupid reasons.
All in all, I truly admire her for having told everything, and so far... this could be the book of 2020 for me.
I didn't make it a mission to read her memoir, but I borrowed the audiobook from the library and after listening to it, I am very happy I did.
I loved it. Without any doubt, I put it right next to Open, Agassi's memoir, because I appreciated the honesty, the vulnerability, the daring of telling everything no matter what it would happen afterwards.
And her conclusion, that she decided it was time for HER to tell her story, not the tabloids, not her mother, not the so-called friends around, it was exactly what I think every celebrity should do.
The truth and the motives are constantly distorted, and we very rarely hear both sides of the story, we rarely are presented with all the facts, situations, and emotions involved.
Demi Moore had a very broken and dysfunctional family because of whom she started early with sex, drugs, and alcohol. However, she learned all the lessons, changed her habits and focused on becoming the best paid actress of her time.
Then she details all her fears, insecurities, and body image issues which she struggled all her live with. She spoke so beautifully of her three husbands, she pointed out her mistakes, their mistakes and the reasons why everything happened. She is very honest about her feelings, very fair towards both Bruce Willis and Ashton Kutcher, very loving to her daughters, and incredibly supportive of women in this cruel industry. I loved her stories about the infamous Vanity Fair cover when she posed naked and pregnant, about her roles in A few Good Men, Striptease, and GI Jane - all movies and moments where she depicted strong women who were supposed to be regarded as such, but she was trashed in the media for various stupid reasons.
All in all, I truly admire her for having told everything, and so far... this could be the book of 2020 for me.
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