Bruce Willis Didn't Always Get Along With Ashton Kutcher
Divorce is always hard, but Tinseltown divorces are usually extra complicated. Not only do celebs have to deal with the emotional downswings that come with ending a marriage, but divorce often opens the door for the public to discover their most intimate secrets. The ugliest showbiz divorces likely include accusations of abuse, substance use, and lengthy fights over assets, which sometimes lead to destroyed Hollywood careers. For the lucky celebs who do have amicable divorces, they still might have to deal with watching their ex's new relationship play out in the press.
Fortunately, there's a silver lining amid the public statements, mediators, and hefty legal bills. Sometimes, celeb divorces result in blended families and new unexpected bonds. For example, Demi Moore's first and second husbands, Bruce Willis and Ashton Kutcher, cultivated a rather close relationship after Kutcher married Moore in 2005. During their marriage, the "Punk'd" star not only built close relationships with Moore and Willis' children, but with Willis himself. "It's an amazing thing — all three of us give a lot of compliments," shared Willis during a 2005 interview with Michael Parkinson (via Female First). "We hang out. He's a pretty cool guy. I love Demi, we are still friends. I wish her nothing but the best and much happiness," he added.
However, things started out very differently.
Bruce Willis sought advice from a very famous peer
Even though Bruce Willis and Ashton Kutcher eventually formed a tight bond, it took a while for Willis to come to terms with Kutcher's relationship with his ex-wife. Willis gained a new perspective, however, after speaking with fellow actor Will Smith. "During some very dark hours, [Will] talked to me about it," Willis shared with Playboy (via Page Six). "He said, 'Dude, you've got to do whatever it takes to get the kids and all the spouses or the girlfriend together. You've got to show your kids it's okay.'" Willis noted that "It was like a light went on" and eventually thanked Smith for his contributions.
Kutcher also struggled with Moore's past relationship with Willis in the beginning. "At first it was difficult," said Kutcher to Live Magazine in 2010 (via SheSaid). You think, 'He's the guy who used to sleep with my wife', but once you overcome the jealousy, which is just your own personal insecurity, it gets easier." Kutcher continued, "People ask us, 'How do you guys get on so well?' Well, I don't like everything Bruce does, and I'm sure he doesn't think everything I do is great." Kutcher eventually conceded that "being with Bruce is normal to me now" and revealed that "We go scuba-diving, skiing, we hang out with the girls together, we watch movies, [and] we talk about sport."
Are Bruce Willis and Ashton Kutcher on good terms today?
Unfortunately, Kutcher's bond with Willis couldn't sustain his marriage to Demi Moore, which officially ended in 2013, two years after initially announcing their separation, per InStyle. Around this time, rumors of infidelity on Kutcher's part plagued their split. Moore confirmed the rumors in 2019 by divulging details of Kutcher's cheating in her memoir, "Inside Out." And even though Moore's memoir bothered Kutcher, due to the tabloid's renewed interest in his personal life, the ex-spouses are on friendly terms these days.
Interestingly enough, Moore and Kutcher's current wife, Mila Kunis even appeared in a 2022 Super Bowl commercial together, per People. Two years prior, Kutcher also revealed that he was still in touch with Willis' and Moore's daughters, who he helped raise during his marriage to Moore, per CNN. However, Willis reportedly hasn't been as keen to reconnect with Kutcher as Moore and his children have. According to an anonymous source, which spoke with OK Magazine, Willis "doesn't want to see Ashton back in the mix." The source also shared that Willis wasn't happy that his children were still in contact with Kutcher. "But Ashton was a dream stepdad to them, and that only aggravates him even more," added the source.