Growing up, this future starlet had a difficult life, as her mother drank often and even traded her for a few hundred dollars. She climbed above it all, achieved great success in her job, and is now a mother to three daughters.
Some background information about the actress.
Demi Gene Guynes was born on November 11, 1962. Her birth father, Air Force Airman Charles Harmon Sr., left her mother, Virginia King, after only two months of marriage.
By the time this future celebrity was born, her parents had split up. When she was three months old, her mother wedded Dan Guynes, a newspaper advertisement salesperson. Her stepfather changed jobs frequently, so they had to move multiple times.
At age 12, she had two eye procedures to address severe strabismus. She also had kidney problems, and at 13, she learnt the truth about her birth father. She left her mother as a teenager to live with her grandma.
In 1981, she scored a role in “General Hospital” before making her film debut in “Choices.” She later appeared in films such as 1984’s “Blame It on Rio” and “No Small Affair.” She gained popular fame in 1985 after appearing in “St. Elmo’s Fire.”
Demi’s career took a favorable turn the following year when she released “About Last Night.” However, her most successful film is “Ghost,” a 1990 romantic fantasy thriller directed by Jerry Zucker. The actress rose to A-list stardom with appearances in “A Few Good Men,” “Indecent Proposal,” and “Disclosure.”
By 1995, she was the highest-paid actress in Hollywood for her appearance in “Striptease.” Her career took off, but her marriage to Freddy lasted only five years.
When she sat down with “Good Morning America’s” Diane Sawyer to discuss her memoir, the actress mentioned that the man revealed the amount, $500, he had given her teenage mother to be with her. Even though it was a painful experience, she doesn’t believe that her mother sold her.
However, she blamed her mother for putting her in harm’s way and giving a man access to her body. Still, she understood that Virginia couldn’t protect her. Demi later became a parent herself and struggled to be a good mother to her own children.
Demi’s Relationship With Her Mother
In the book, the actress discussed her childhood, describing how her parents struggled with alcoholism and reared her in an environment full of infidelities, arguments, and continual shifting. Demi was just 12 when her mother attempted suicide, and she had to save her from an overdose.
Demi felt deceived by everyone except herself, but she also recognized that her mother had felt protective. Virginia took her to clubs as a teenager in order to attract the attention of males. Another important incident that eternally shaped her youth was when her mother let her go at the age of 15. Virginia allegedly traded her to an acquaintance who abused her.
What was Demi’s role as a mother like?
Following the publication of her book, Demi appeared on numerous television shows, where she discussed her tumultuous childhood and relationship with her mother. She described how, after Dan and Virginia separated, she became responsible for her mother’s well-being.
Scout praised the actor for the internal work she completed after being in survival mode for so long. Demi’s daughter thought her memoir demonstrated how at ease she is with herself.
However, the book triggered some terrible memories for all three siblings, who have also suffered with body image and substance misuse. Scout admitted that the book challenged them since their mother made an effort to share the most vulnerable aspects of her life, which coincided with her daughter’s most painful experiences.