Maureen Dumont Kelly - A Look inside Minka Kelly's Mother's Life

Maureen Dumont Kelly was adored by many who knew her as an entertainer, and her daughter attested to that in her memoir. And while she captivated many as an actress and exotic dancer, Maureen's life was riddled with abuse, drugs, and poverty.

Minka Kelly recently published her tell-all memoir "Tell Me Everything," detailing her childhood and the impact her mother, Maureen Dumont Kelly, had on her upbringing — the 42-year-old faced abandonment, physical and sexual abuse, and poverty because of Maureen's negligent choices.

Despite the heart-wrenching experiences Minka endured as a result, she reconciled with Maureen and tried — though she admittedly struggled at one point — to care for her. At that time, Maureen was finally the mother Minka had wished for, but it was a short-lived victory; and that angered Minka.

Maureen Dumont Kelly Dated Aerosmith Guitarist Rick Dufay

Little about Maureen's life before she had her daughter is known. She had a brief romance with Rick Dufay, and Minka knew he was her dad, but he only came into her life when she was in her late teens. Maureen never told Rick that she was carrying his child.

Instead, she drove to see her mother, Renee, for advice. As Minka revealed in her memoir, Maureen adored her mother, "who was the sun, moon, and stars" to her. They hatched a plan about Maureen's pregnancy, but Renee passed away before they could implement it.

This left Maureen unprepared for motherhood, and her daughter would later suffer the consequences. Minka recalled the "ever-changing" stream of men in her mother's life, but her primary lover was David. David was Minka's abusive father figure until she connected with her biological dad.

David's relationship with Maureen was no different, as the two often provoked and were physically violent toward one another. However, they also had an unhealthy emotional dynamic that kept them dependent on each other. At one point, David had Maureen transport drugs across a border.

Maureen was caught and subsequently jailed for a short time, but Minka didn't find out until years later. The two also faced poverty. After leaving David's, their former living spaces include an apartment complex storage shed and a friend's garage. Maureen would also occasionally abandon Minka to find her own shelter.

Maureen Dumont Kelly Worked as a Dancer at Strip Club

Maureen worked at the Los Angeles strip club "Crazy Girls," and often took her daughter to the establishment with her. Minka recalled how lovingly her mom's friends and colleagues received her whenever she came around. When she fell pregnant, Maureen tried to convince her that they could raise the baby together.

Minka was 17 then and was sure she didn't want a kid, especially with an abusive boyfriend. In addition to how ill-prepared they both were for a child, she worried about continuing the cycle of trauma her mother brought upon her. So she went ahead with an abortion.

In addition to dancing, Maureen was an actress with five onscreen credits to her name, including 1985's action film "Hell Squad." Up until 1992, she took brief roles in a few TV shows. Her daughter followed in those footsteps and is best known for "The Butler," opposite Oprah Winfrey and Jane Fonda, and "Just Go with It."

Maureen Dumont Kelly Died of Cancer

It was colon cancer that took Maureen's life. Minka was distraught when Maureen broke the news. She moved her mom to Austin, Texas, where she nursed her until she took her last breath; however, the Hollywood star — who has dated Chris Evans, Trevor Noah, and Derek Jeter — struggled toward the end.

But more than anything, she was angry. "I finally had my mom back in my life in a new way. She wanted to know what I was doing, was interested in my dreams, was one hundred percent behind me and focused on me," Minka lamented. Maureen passed away at 51 in 2008. And despite their shared troubled past, Minka remembered her with love.