Ashton Kutcher just did something unexpected.
He publicly praised his ex-wife Demi Moore’s award-winning performance in The Substance.
And it’s sparking conversations about maturity, moving forward, and how exes can actually support each other years after divorce.
The rare public acknowledgment came while Kutcher promoted his new FX series The Beauty, which—ironically—shares striking thematic similarities with Moore’s body horror film.
A Rare Public Compliment Between Exes
During a recent Entertainment Tonight interview alongside costars Anthony Ramos and Jeremy Pope, Kutcher, 47, didn’t hesitate when asked about comparisons between his new project and Moore’s acclaimed film.
I mean, one, Demi’s performance in The Substance, obviously she got extraordinary accolades, I’m so proud of her, she killed it.
Moore, 62, won major awards at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2025 for her portrayal of an actress who takes an illicit drug that creates a younger, more beautiful version of herself.
The compliment marks a notable moment in their post-divorce relationship, particularly given their complicated history.
The Complicated History Behind the Shoutout
Kutcher and Moore’s relationship began in 2003, when their 15-year age gap made headlines. They married in 2005, creating a blended family with Moore’s three daughters from her marriage to Bruce Willis.
Their split came in November 2011, with divorce finalized two years later.
Moore’s 2019 memoir Inside Out contained allegations that Kutcher had been unfaithful during their marriage, adding public tension to an already difficult breakup.
But time appears to have healed old wounds.
Moving Toward Mutual Respect
By 2020, Kutcher revealed that he and Moore had reached a place of peace, stating they carry “no badness” between them.
While acknowledging they don’t socialize regularly, Kutcher emphasized his ongoing commitment to Moore’s daughters—Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31.
I was helping raise teenage girls through their adolescence. I love them. I’m never going to stop loving them and respecting them and honoring them and rooting for them to be successful in whatever they are pursuing.
That commitment to maintaining family bonds despite divorce demonstrates emotional maturity that many struggle to achieve.
When Exes Appear Together: The 2022 Super Bowl Commercial
Perhaps the most visible sign of their amicable relationship came in 2022, when Kutcher and Moore costarred in an AT&T Super Bowl commercial alongside Kutcher’s current wife, Mila Kunis.
The ad featured Moore and Kunis joking that they had “a lot in common”—a moment that could have been awkward but instead showcased genuine comfort between all parties.
Kutcher and Kunis began dating in 2012, shortly after his split from Moore, and married in 2015. They now share two children: daughter Wyatt Isabelle, 11, and son Dimitri Portwood, 9.
The Surprising Connection Between Their Projects
The timing of Kutcher’s praise isn’t entirely coincidental—his new series The Beauty draws immediate comparisons to Moore’s The Substance.
Both projects explore dangerous substances that promise physical transformation with devastating consequences.
In The Beauty, premiering January 21 on FX, Kutcher plays a biotech billionaire who secretly engineers a miracle drug that grants users physically attractive attributes while causing death, violence, and chaos.
Moore’s character in The Substance faces similar themes—an aging actress desperate enough to take an illicit drug that creates a younger version of herself, with horrifying results.
Parallel Themes of Beauty and Destruction
Both projects tap into society’s obsession with physical perfection and the lengths people will go to achieve it.
- The Substance explores aging, female beauty standards, and Hollywood’s treatment of older actresses
- The Beauty examines corporate greed, biotech ethics, and society’s willingness to risk everything for attractiveness
- Both use body horror elements to highlight the dangerous consequences of chasing superficial perfection
The thematic overlap makes Kutcher’s acknowledgment of Moore’s work particularly relevant—and his willingness to credit her performance shows professional respect alongside personal growth.
What This Tells Us About Healthy Post-Divorce Relationships
Kutcher’s public support of Moore offers a blueprint for maintaining dignity after difficult splits.
Time creates perspective. Nearly 14 years after their separation, both have moved forward while maintaining mutual respect.
Acknowledging shared history doesn’t threaten current relationships. Kutcher’s praise of Moore didn’t diminish his marriage to Kunis—in fact, it demonstrated emotional security.
Children benefit from parental cooperation. Kutcher’s continued relationship with Moore’s daughters shows prioritizing family over personal grievances.
Professional accomplishments can be celebrated separately from personal history. Kutcher recognized Moore’s talent independent of their past relationship.
The Power of Public Acknowledgment
Celebrity divorces often become public spectacles filled with bitterness and blame.
Kutcher choosing to publicly praise Moore—especially given the cheating allegations in her memoir—demonstrates that people can evolve beyond past hurts.
His comments send a powerful message: former partners can genuinely wish each other well, celebrate each other’s successes, and move forward without carrying resentment.
Whether audiences embrace The Beauty as enthusiastically as critics praised The Substance remains to be seen.
But Kutcher’s gracious acknowledgment of his ex-wife’s achievement has already won approval in the court of public opinion—proving that maturity after divorce isn’t just possible, it’s admirable.