Dominique Moceanu calls Demi Moore 'coolest chick' for party she and Bruce Willis threw after Olympic win

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Winning Olympic gold is a dream for every athlete, but there's something uniquely special about doing it on home soil.

Dominique Moceanu and Shannon Miller, two iconic members of the 1996 US Olympic gymnastics team, relived their medal-winning memories during a panel discussion at 90s Con on Saturday, March 29.

Dominique Moceanu recalls that Bruce Willis and Demi Moore threw a surprise party after their 1996 Olympic win

Dominique Moceanu, now 43, and Shannon Miller, now 48, took the stage at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, where People's Breanne L Heldman moderated their discussion.

Nearly three decades after their historic victory, the two gymnasts reflected on the significance of their achievement and the unforgettable experiences that followed.

Competing in the 1996 Atlanta Games brought Moceanu into close contact with some major American celebrities.

"I met Andre Agassi, so that was really cool," she told People on the 90s Con red carpet.

But one memory stands out above the rest: "Bruce Willis and Demi Moore threw a surprise party at Planet Hollywood after we won gold," Moceanu revealed. "We were police escorted over there, and she had just filmed 'GI Jane', so that was really exciting."

The retired gymnast vividly recalled seeing Moore at the event: "She had her bandana on. I thought she was the coolest chick ever. It was a lot of fun."

Celebrities weren’t just present at the afterparties, they were also in the stands during competitions.

Moceanu recalled seeing Jamie Lee Curtis cheering them on, reinforcing the special nature of competing on home turf.

Looking ahead, she predicted that the 2028 Los Angeles Games, where her son Vincent Canales hopes to compete, will also attract big names and passionate crowds.

Dominique Moceanu and Shannon Miller's 'Magnificent Seven' legacy

Dominique Moceanu and Shannon Miller were integral members of the "Magnificent Seven," the first US gymnastics team to win Olympic gold.

Their victory over the dominant Russian Federation was decided by less than a point, cementing their place in history.

At the time, Miller was the second-most decorated American gymnast and the reigning national champion.

Moceanu, meanwhile, had made history as the youngest US national champion at just 13 years old.

Their collective contributions helped propel Team USA to the top of the podium, inspiring generations of gymnasts to come.

Following the 1996 Olympics, Moceanu continued her success, winning the all-around title at the 1998 Goodwill Games, becoming the first non-Russian to achieve this feat.

She retired from competitive gymnastics soon after and was inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1998 and the US Olympic Hall of Fame in 2008.

In 2009, she graduated from John Carroll University with a Bachelor of Science in business management.

Dominique Moceanu reflects on discovering her long-lost sister

Beyond gymnastics, Dominique Moceanu’s life took a dramatic turn when she discovered she had a long-lost sister, Jen Bricker.

Their story became the subject of the documentary 'She Looks Like Me'.

Bricker, born without legs and left at the hospital by their biological parents, was adopted and grew up idolizing Moceanu.

She went on to become a celebrated acrobat and aerialist, even touring with Britney Spears.

"There were times when I was reliving these scenes that were so hard for me," Moceanu shared about watching the documentary at its screening last year.

Bricker echoed the emotional weight of their story. 

"Hearing my mom talk about my biological mom, and then the adoption scene, or the scene when I was born and they left me at the hospital, I was like, 'Oh, I don't know.' It hit me in a way I just was not expecting," she said. 

Miller retired from gymnastics after the 1996 Olympics, shifting her focus toward education and philanthropy.

She earned a law degree from Boston College and dedicated herself to charitable causes, working with organizations such as the Special Olympics, Children’s Miracle Network, Drug-Free Youth, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Pediatric AIDS Foundation.