Demi Moore spoke openly about her personal struggles during her acceptance speech for the Woman of the Year Award at the Friendly House 29th Annual Awards Luncheon on Saturday, October 27, in Beverly Hills, California.
After a quick intro of thanks to her daughters — Rumer Willis, 30, Scout Willis, 27, and Tallulah Belle Willis, 24, whom she shares with ex-husband Bruce Willis — the 55-year-old actress and philanthropist detailed her journey to recognize her self-worth.
“I feel like there’s a defining moments in our lives that shape who we are and the direction we go and early in my career, I was spiraling down a path of real self-destruction and no matter what successes I had, I just never felt good enough,” Moore explained. “I had absolutely no value for myself and this self-destructive path, it very quickly led/brought me to a real crisis point. And it wasn’t clear at the time the reason. Maybe it was divine intervention.”
The Striptease star went on to note that it was two people she “barely knew” who “stepped up and took a stand for me and they presented me with an opportunity.” Moore called it an “ultimatum,” adding that she was given “a chance to redirect the course of my life before I destroyed everything.”
“Clearly they saw more of me than I saw of myself,” Moore continued. “And I’m so grateful because without that opportunity, without their believing me, I wouldn’t be standing here today.”
After elaborating on the incredible work of Friendly House — a place for women to go for help recovering from drug and alcohol abuse — Moore concluded with a powerful message of support for the audience.
“Life is certainly not a straight line and I think everyone here has dealt with not feeling good enough at some point in their lives,” the G.I. Jane actress said. “I know in a moment of great struggle for me, I’ve reached out to a wise teacher and expressed my fear that I wasn’t good enough and she said, ‘You will never be good enough but you can know the value of your worth. Put down the measuring stick.’ So today, I put down the measuring stick and I thank you for this beautiful acknowledgment and the opportunity to know the value of my worth.”
Though Moore didn’t go into detail about her struggles, she was previously treated for substance abuse at the Cirque Lodge in Sundance, Utah, in 2012 after suffering a seizure due to smoking an “incense-like substance.”
With reporting by Nicole Pajer.
