At 16 Demi Moore Escaped Troubled Family Home — Now She Always Puts Kids 1st & Tries Not to Repeat Parents' Mistakes

• Demi Moore left school and ran away from home at 16 from her alcoholic parents.

• After she had three children and her husband left her, she realized that she was ready to give up her career for the sake of her children.

• She puts them first and takes care of them because she remembers the bitter experience of her relationship with her mother.

Demi Moore is an actress who gained A-list status due to successful films and her marriage to actor Bruce Willis. She was born in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1962 and started acting on the soap "General Hospital" in her teens. Her rise continued with "St. Elmo's Fire," where she joined the ranks of the brat pack, a group of hot, young actors.

Her role alongside Patrick Swayze in "Ghost" in 1990 marked the peak of her box-office success, earning nearly $218 million. But critical flops like "Striptease" and "G.I. Jane" dimmed her star. Though she faced many challenges, she kept working while raising a family.

Moore and Willis got married in Las Vegas in November 1987, and she gave birth to their first child, Rumer, the next year. In 1991, Moore made the controversial decision to pose nude while pregnant, making the statement:

"People in this country don't want to embrace motherhood and sensuality. You're either sexy, or you're a mother. I didn't want to have to choose."

Their second daughter, Scout, was born that same year. Three years later, Moore and Willis welcomed their third baby girl, Talulah. By this time, Moore had succeeded in establishing herself in her family and her career. But her success concealed a dark past.

Moore's Difficult Childhood

The tale of the "Disclosure" actress' childhood is a sad one. Her mother, Virginia, had her at 19 and named her Demetria after a brand of shampoo. Moore, her brother Morgan and her mother lived with her stepfather, Danny Guynes, who she thought was her real dad until the age of 15.

Her childhood, though unideal, trained her to be adaptable, a quality that served her in life and in acting.

Not only did they constantly move to keep up with Guynes' salesman job, but Moore had to deal with a life-threatening health issue. She had surgery to correct a lazy eye at 12 and ended up with a complication called nephrosis which could have killed her.

Her mother was an alcoholic, and the only father she had known, Guynes, died by suicide, worsening her mother's drinking. Speaking about how her parents' choices affected her, Moore said:

"It was what I knew. Certainly not what I would want for my children, but if I didn't step out of how hurtful that was, it would have been mind-twisting for me."

The self-professed "trailer-park kid" added that her abusive and chaotic upbringing left her with many "insecurities and doubts" that she had to overcome. But she freed herself and her parents from bearing the weight of the past with the statement that they probably did the best they could.

Moore dropped out of high school and ran away from home. She was a debt collector for a time and also tried modeling, where she discovered a love for acting. She landed a part in "General Hospital" in 1981 that sparked the career of an icon.

Idaho had been a place of sanctuary, but staying in that place of comfort could become her barrier to regaining her former life.

Her childhood, though unideal, trained her to be adaptable, a quality that served her in life and in acting. She could make friends easily and be comfortable in new circumstances. After several forgettable roles post "General Hospital," she landed on the role of a lifetime in "St. Elmo's Fire," a coming-of-age story of a group of friends navigating life after college.

The Mother She Wished She Had

Moore's career in the late eighties had seen its fair share of hits and duds, but it was not dead by any stretch of the imagination. Yet she decided to move to Idaho in 1998 to focus on raising her children after her marriage to Willis began to crumble. The actress explained:

"My parents used my brother and me as pawns. I was determined that that would never happen with my family."

The former lovers purposed to stay friends for the sake of their children. And the actress who left a vital career dedicated herself to assuring her girls that they were loved and had a good relationship with their father.

In the same season, her mother also got very ill, and Moore got to do some work repairing that relationship. Virginia passed away at 54 from cancer.

Her childhood made her stronger and inspired her to be a better mother.

Moore was left battling within herself with wanting to return to her work and whether she would be able to reclaim a part of her former glory and satisfaction. Idaho had been a place of sanctuary, but staying in that place of comfort could become her barrier to regaining her former life.

In 2003, Moore made a comeback on "Charlie's Angels 2: Full Throttle" playing the villainous Madison Lee. It was a worthy effort and reintroduced her to her audience. But her marriage to Ashton Kutcher in 2005, drew more press than her professional pursuits.

They got married in September of that year, but the union ended after he cheated on her. The actress' private struggle with addiction became public after she was hospitalized in 2012. Media outlets and the public traded rumors of what really ailed Moore.

Her friend and co-parent, Willis, admitted that he and his ex-wife had both fought addiction throughout the years. Speaking of their efforts to protect and guide their girls, he said:

"We have an ongoing conversation. They have the gene, and we warn them: 'You have a predisposition to be an alcoholic.'"

Demi Moore's desire is for her children to have a better life than she did, learn from her mistakes, and make their own decisions about who they want to be. Her childhood made her stronger and inspired her to be a better mother.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "help" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.