When Bruce Willis was in a crisis and needed relationship advice, there was only one cool-headed man in Hollywood he could turn to.
Long before Will Smith was smacking comedians at award ceremonies, he was slapping down some solid advice for the Die Hard actor.
Bruce, whose family announced he is retiring from acting this week after a devastating diagnosis, was consumed by jealousy when his ex-wife Demi Moore started dating another man.
It was Will who gave Bruce some words of wisdom during some "very dark hours" when Demi started seeing young dreamboat Ashton Kutcher.
The Fresh Prince star would certainly know all about bringing an ex and current partner together, as wife Jada Pinkett Smith once described her, Will and his ex-wife Sheree Zampino as being in "a non-sexual throuple".
In a strange twist of fate during the Oscars on Sunday night, the story came full circle as it was actually Chris Rock's joke about GI Jane, which famously starred Demi, which resulted in Will slapping the comedian.
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So how did Bruce come to need advice from fellow Hollywood A-lister Will?
Following a whirlwind romance after meeting at a film premier in 1987, Demi got pregnant with their first child and married Bruce just four months later.
Eldest daughter Rumer was born in 1988, followed by Scout in 1991 and Tallulah in 1994, but their marriage would not last as they separated in 1998 and divorced two years later.
"I think both of us from the outset were more passionate about having kids than we were about being married," Demi wrote in her 2019 autobiography, Inside Out.
The couple remained close for their kids but Bruce was particularly cut up when Demi moved on with The Butterfly Effect actor Ashton.
The pair hit it off instantly after the former model went back to Demi's, where they reportedly talked all night until they fell asleep together.
"He was 25. I was 40. But I’m telling you: we couldn’t feel it. We were totally in sync, from our very first conversation," Demi recalled in her 2019 autobiography Inside Out.
But it was a big adjustment for Bruce at first as he watched his ex-wife start a relationship with a much younger man.
Bruce, who dated a string of women but couldn't find true love for a decade after his split from Demi, credits Will Smith with helping him see the bigger picture.
"During some very dark hours he talked to me about it," Bruce told Playboy in 2007.
"He said, "Dude, you’ve got to do whatever it takes to get the kids and all the spouses or the girlfriend together. You’ve got to show your kids it’s okay'.
"It was like a light went on. Ding. So Will, thanks. And thanks for all those good movies you’re making."
And Will's relationship tips probably helped him get the role of a professional dating expert who helped men woo the women of their dreams in romantic comedy Hitch.
Bruce actually became very close friends with Ashton and was in attendance when he married Demi in a Kabbalah ceremony on 24 September 2005 at their home in Beverly Hills.
During an interview with Live magazine, Ashton said: "People ask us, 'How do you guys get on so well?' Well, I don't like everything Bruce does, and I'm sure he doesn't think everything I do is great.
"But being with Bruce is normal to me now. We go scuba-diving, skiing, we hang out with the girls together, we watch movies, we talk about sport."
Ashton and Demi split after six years of marriage amid claims he had cheater on her with a younger woman.
Rumours soon started circulating about the couple attending threesome parties prompting Ashton to suggest the 'blurred lines justified' his betrayal, according to Demi.
It was reported the couple added a 'third party' to their bedroom leading the actor to question what was acceptable within their unorthodox relationship.
Ashton has since gone on to marry Family Guy star Mila Kunis, who he now has two kids with, while Bruce married model and actress Emma Heming in 2009.
Bruce, who has two daughters with Emma, is closer than ever with Demi and they have one big blended family.
"It's generated a lot of interest because everyone can understand resentment and envy in the breakup of a marriage, but they don't understand how I can get along with my ex like that," said Bruce.
"Demi and I made a choice to put the kids first, and we're really lucky that it turns out we all have fun together."
In 2020, Bruce shocked everyone by moving in with Demi, their three kids and two of their daughters' boyfriends in Idaho during lockdown.
While wife Emma stayed in LA with daughters Evelyn and Mabel, although this was revealed to only be while they waited for test results.
"It’s so funny you know because to me they’re just like super f**king weird parents, but to everyone else, there’s this like different level," Bruce and Demi's daughter Scout told the Dopey podcast of her mum and dad's unusual set-up.
"My step mum had to be in LA waiting for the results after taking her to the doctor. My dad came up here early and then travel got crazy so my step mum stayed in LA with my little sisters."
Now Bruce's wife Emma and ex Demi are coming together to support Bruce as he quits acting for good.
The pair, along with all of Bruce's kids, put out an emotional statement on Wednesday revealing he was suffering from health issues.
The 67-year-old will no longer be making any movies after discovering he has aphasia, a condition that has affected his cognitive abilities, so will be stepping away from his career.
The Willis family said it had been a "really challenging time" for them and thanked fans for their "continued love, compassion and support".
"To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family, we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities," the statement shared on Instagram read.
"As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.
"This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support.
"We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him.
"As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that."
The heartbreaking post was signed from 'Emma, Demi, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, & Evelyn'.
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