What Really Caused the Downfall of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore’s Marriage?

Gone are the old celebrity relationships of the past, and that includes Bruce Willis and Demi Moore’s union. The couple would marry in Las Vegas in 1987, and their lives were forever changed. They went on to have three children together – Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah. But the marriage wasn’t to last, and they split in 1998. Their divorce was finalized in 2000, but what exactly caused their downfall?

How did Bruce Willis and Demi Moore meet?

The couple met at the movie premiere of Stakeout in 1987. Although they were both with their own dates that night, Moore was actually engaged to Emilio Estevez, who starred in the film, at the time. In Moore’s telling memoir, Inside Out (via 9Honey), she reveals that Willis was somehow able to convince her to write her number down on his arm, and the relationship blossomed from there. She ended things with her fiancé, and despite her initial impression that he was “kind of a jerk,” the spark ignited rather quickly between Willis and Moore.

They were married in Las Vegas, but had another ceremony in LA

The couple started dating, and after just four months, Willis popped the question while in Las Vegas. They were married in their hotel suite, but they had yet another ceremony only a month later in Los Angeles. On their wedding night (the first ceremony) Moore became pregnant with their first child – a daughter named Rumer.

They wanted a more private life, so they moved to Hailey, Idaho

Willis had purchased a house in Idaho, and that’s where they chose to raise their family away from prying eyes and the Hollywood life. Things were great for a while, but it didn’t last long. According to her memoir (via Daily Mail), Moore had an opportunity to star in We’re No Angels, but her husband’s reaction to the news wasn’t exactly supportive.

“’This is never going to work if you’re off shooting a film,’” he reportedly said.

What really caused the downfall of their marriage?

Although they lived away from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood, both actors still managed to grow their careers at the same time and raise a family. But they didn’t see eye to eye on things, as Willis had a different outlook on marriage and family. He wanted Moore’s main focus to be the family they shared, but she wanted to continue working at the same time.

Their hectic schedules working in the industry while trying to raise a family weighed on them, and it caused problems. They weren’t spending as much time together, leading to a further strain on an already stressful situation. As they would frequently travel for work, it was impossible to be in two places at once, since they lived in Idaho but worked on movie sets.

It was all too much for the relationship to take. According to The Independent, friends of the couple said things ended because they spent a lot of time apart for work, as they each filmed for a variety of roles while married.

Add in the media’s constant attention to their every move, and it was a recipe for disaster. Moore told Vanity Fair, “They won’t stop until one day they may be right,” (via People) in regards to the media’s obsession with their supposed marriage problems. There were also rumors of cheating on either side during their time together.

Although Demi Moore and Bruce Willis officially divorced in 2000, they’ve still remained good friends and raised their three daughters together.