Demi Moore recalls her parents' ‘lunacy’ for letting her drive at 13 without a license

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Demi Moore recently appeared on 'The Drew Barrymore Show' and opened up about her unconventional upbringing, shedding light on the “lunacy” that defined parts of her childhood.

The 61-year-old actress shared with host Drew Barrymore that her parents allowed her to drive a car at just 13 years old—without a license.

Demi Moore reflects on her chaotic childhood and reckless upbringing

“Driving on the freeway, I mean, my parents would say, ‘Okay, here’s the deal. You can take the car. If you get stopped, you just have to say you took the car without permission'. And they kind of saw that as a win-win for everybody, but that is lunacy,” Demi Moore revealed, reflecting on the recklessness of her early experiences behind the wheel.

Moore and Barrymore, who have both experienced tumultuous childhoods, bonded over how they often played the role of “parent” to their own parents.

Moore’s upbringing was fraught with challenges, including a difficult relationship with her mother, Virginia.

In a candid 2019 interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Moore recalled a terrifying moment when her mother overdosed on drugs during her childhood.

“The next thing I remember is 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,” Moore said, recounting the harrowing incident that highlighted the instability of her early life.

Demi Moore opens up about her complicated family history

Demi Moore's biological father was Air Force airman Charles Foster Harmon Sr, who left her mother, Virginia (née King), when she was just 18 years old. The couple had been married for only two months before Moore was born.

Moore’s mother married Dan Guynes when Moore was only three months old, as per Vanity Fair.

Guynes became the man who “raised” her, though his life ended tragically when he died by suicide in 1980 at the age of 37.

Despite the hardships, Moore has come to terms with her parents’ choices, accepting that they did the best they could.

“I accept that my parents did the best they could, and my mom did the best she could with the level of consciousness and awareness that she had at the time,” she told Barrymore, showing compassion for her mother’s struggles.

Now a mother herself, Moore shares daughters Rumer Willis, 36, Scout Willis, 33, and Tallulah Willis, 30, with her ex-husband Bruce Willis.

Reflecting on her own journey as a parent, Moore said, “I don’t think my mother came into this world with the intention to be less than nurturing, to be neglectful, to not really be able to show up as a parent for me. I think she came in with the innocence of a soul that wanted to find happiness, to feel love and to confirm.”

Demi Moore and Drew Barrymore reflect on healing mother-daughter relationships

Demi Moore's relationship with her mother has also shaped her approach to her own children, helping her foster empathy and understanding.

“When I look and find the compassion for my mother, I know that in that, I then open the pathway for my children to have compassion for me,” Moore explained.

Barrymore, who has spoken about her own challenging relationship with her mother, resonated deeply with Moore’s reflections, responding, “And that is why I say to my mom ‘I love you', because the hard, weird, crazy choices you made led me to here.”

The 38-year-old actress, and daughter of John Barrymore and Jaid Barrymore, admitted that despite becoming a mother herself, she still finds it difficult to repair their bond due to the unresolved issues from her dysfunctional childhood. 

“It’s the hardest subject in my life,” Drew told Marie Claire about her mother in 2014 when the two were still estranged. “I’ve never just been angry with her. I’ve always felt guilt and empathy and utter sensitivity. But we can’t really be in each other's lives at this point.”

On the other hand, Moore’s daughter, Scout, also spoke to People in September about the impact her mother has had on her and her sisters, crediting Moore for instilling a sense of inner beauty and strength.

“She’s such a model of working on feeling good from the inside,” Scout said.

“So I think she fostered in all of us a real desire to just feel beautiful, feel sexy, feel embodied.”