Cougars all over the world are stunned – their shining example of what cougarhood can be has come to an end. After rumors swirled that Ashton Kutcher had cheated on wife Demi Moore, the two announced their divorce this week.
The pair has almost always turned heads since they began dating in 2003, when Moore was 41-years-old and Kutcher was barely out of diapers. Okay, he was actually 25-years-old. But, Moore’s oldest daughter, Rumer is just 10 years younger than Kutcher.
While not many batted an eyelash when Anthony Quinn married a women 48 years younger than him or Sammy Davis Jr. married a women 18 years younger than him, all of Hollywood was abuzz with the Moore/Kutcher relationship.
Everyone may have thought it was a shame, but in 2005, the couple married in a Kabbalah ceremony. Kutcher seemed to relish in his role as a stepfather, despite his age. By all accounts, stepdaughters Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah (all daughters of Moore’s second husband, Bruce Willis) seemed to love him, nicknaming him M.O.D. (My Other Dad). Even Willis and Kutcher seemed to get along well, appearing with Moore and the girls at several events.
The past few months, as Moore headed toward 50 and Kutcher was in what many may call the prime of life (33), cheating rumors surfaced. The two stars, famous for sharing their lives through Twitter, were posting odd things. Days before their sixth anniversary, Moore posted “When we are offended at any man’s fault, turn to yourself & study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger. — Epictetus.” Not much later, Kutcther posted, “When you ASSUME to know that which you know nothing of you make an ASS out of U and ME.”
Then, the pair was suddenly quiet as rumors leaked to the public that Kutcher had cheated with Sara Leal on the very day of his sixth wedding anniversary to Moore.
As the world watched, Moore finally released a statement two days ago that read, “It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have decided to end my six-year marriage to Ashton. As a woman, a mother and a wife there are certain values and vows that I hold sacred, and it is in this spirit that I have chosen to move forward with my life. This is a trying time for me and my family, and so I would ask for the same compassion and privacy that you would give to anyone going through a similar situation.”
For his part, Kutcher tweeted (naturally), “I will forever cherish the time I spent with Demi. Marriage is one of the most difficult things in the world and unfortunately sometimes they fail. Love and Light, AK.”