Demi Moore Reflects on Tom Cruise’s Reaction to Her Pregnancy
Demi Moore has opened up about an “awkward” moment she experienced with co-star Tom Cruise while preparing to film A Few Good Men, revealing that she believes he felt “embarrassed” by her pregnancy during the movie’s early stages.
Speaking during a conversation at the 2025 New Yorker Festival in New York City, the 62-year-old actress reflected on being nearly eight months pregnant with her second daughter, Scout, when she began reading lines with director Rob Reiner and Cruise.
“I think Tom was quite embarrassed,” Moore said. “I could tell it was a bit awkward for him, though I was completely fine with it. I was moving around quite a bit, but I think he didn’t quite know what to do with it.”
The actress, who shares three daughters — Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah — with her former husband Bruce Willis, noted that Cruise’s discomfort may have been influenced by Hollywood’s cultural attitudes at the time, when very few women were balancing high-profile acting careers and motherhood simultaneously.
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“Not many women in our industry were having children then,” she explained. “There was an expectation that you had to choose between being a mother and having a career. I just didn’t believe that made sense, so I wanted to show it was possible to do both.”
Challenging Hollywood Norms While Expecting
During her candid reflection, Moore shared that she felt a strong desire to prove that being pregnant didn’t have to limit her professional opportunities. “With that decision came a lot of pressure I put on myself,” she said. “I became a bit of an overachiever — trying to demonstrate that I could do it all.”
The actress remembered training and staying active right up until her daughter’s birth. “I was going to be in a military uniform, and I probably started working out even before she was born,” Moore said with a laugh. “I did a two-and-a-half-hour hike the day my water broke, a 24-mile bike ride, and even went dancing at a reggae club — that’s probably why she came two weeks early.”
Moore also reflected on how the industry has evolved since then. “Back then, there wasn’t much support for working mothers,” she said. “Now, I see young women being encouraged to bring their whole selves to their work — it’s much healthier.”
She admitted that her determination at the time was partly driven by the need to challenge outdated perceptions. “I look back and wonder what I was trying to prove,” she said. “But that experience shaped me. It taught me to question why women were ever made to feel like they had to hide their motherhood.”
A Legacy of Strength and Change
Moore’s reflections on the experience come as she continues to receive acclaim for her recent performance in The Substance, which has reignited her status as one of Hollywood’s most enduring actresses. During the same Q&A session, she said that what moved her most about the film’s reception was the connection younger audiences felt with her story.
“I knew women my age would relate, but it’s the younger people who’ve told me they see themselves in it — that really moved me,” she said.
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Her comments about A Few Good Men highlight how the actress’s personal journey has mirrored her professional resilience. From facing the pressures of Hollywood’s beauty standards to balancing motherhood in a demanding industry, Moore’s reflections reveal both vulnerability and strength.
While she described Cruise’s reaction to her pregnancy as “a bit awkward,” her story ultimately sheds light on how much attitudes toward women in film — and mothers in the workplace — have changed over the past three decades.
