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Tallulah Willis Recalls How She Once ‘Resented’ Her Resemblance to Dad Bruce: ‘I Punished Myself’
If you didn’t know, it’s pretty obvious Tallulah Willis is Bruce Willis‘ daughter considering she’s the star’s complete spitting image. But no matter how fascinating the resemblance, the Whole Ten Yards actress said she once “resented” the extent of how much she looks like her dad.
“I punished myself for not looking like my mom [Demi Moore], after being told I was [my dad’s] twin since birth,” the 27-year-old rising model candidly wrote on Instagram in mid-May. “I resented the resemblance as I believed wholly my ‘masculine’ face was the sole reason for my unlovability.”
Tallulah shared her emotional post along with two photos of herself, plus two other throwbacks of mom Demi. Though she noted it “took [her] way too long to realize,” Tallulah was able to put those emotions aside and focus on growing her confidence.
“I was/am inherently valuable and worthy, at any life stage, at any size, with any hairdo (As are you)!” continued Tallulah, who was diagnosed with body dysmorphic disorder when she was younger, per Daily Mail. “You need to soothe the wound within your soul before trying to ‘fix’ the outsides.”
The Bandits alum has been very open and honest about her experiences with mental health struggles in the past, and she shared her advice for when she’s in a “BDD spiral.” In addition to “taking mirrors down” around the house, “reading books” and taking “breaks from social media,” Tallulah urged her followers to “find a safe person, circle [or] community [with whom] you can vocalize the triggering moment/current obsession/spiral.”
Most importantly, the Scarlet Letter actress insisted on how important it is to seek help when needed. “We all want to feel good and confident, but when it creeps into a deeper, spookier place where it begins to devour your essence bit by bit, ask for help,” she penned. “Do not feel ashamed, this is not a ‘stupid, vain issue’ … this is genuine psychological pain and I see you so clearly and witness the validity in your struggle.”
In the comments section of Tallulah’s post, fans flooded the brunette beauty with hundreds of kind messages. However, it was the Ghost alum’s touching comment that garnered all the attention. Demi, 58, praised her youngest daughter for her strength and honesty.
“Beautifully realized. Beautifully expressed. Beautiful to witness,” gushed the mom of three, who shares Tallulah and older daughters Rumer Willis, 32, and Scout Willis, 29, with the Die Hard alum. Demi and Bruce, 66, were married from 1987 to 2000.
If you or someone you know is struggling with BDD, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from these organizations: Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) — Information from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
