Why Rumer Willis' DWTS Stint Initially Sparked Family Conflict

"Dancing With The Stars" has had prestigious casts of legendary celebrities since 2005. The dance competition show champions itself as being incredibly rigorous and trajectory-altering for many of its stars. One Mirrorball winner in particular, though, almost didn't make it to week one. Rumer Willis competed in and won Season 20 of "Dancing With The Stars" with her partner, longtime pro and fan-favorite, Valentin "Val" Chmerkovskiy in 2015. Their connection was so ineffable that they sparked dating rumors for months, which Rumer denied on "The Howard Stern Show." She did reportedly get a tattoo of the pair dancing together, and sources told Page Six in 2018 she had started to get it removed. 

However, one character in Rumer's life could have prevented all of the buzz. On a 2024 episode of "The Glamour and Grit" podcast, hosted by Sainty Nelsen and Eric Nelsen, Rumer revealed that her being cast on the show was against her mother, Demi Moore's, wishes: "Learning a new skill that was not anything to do with my parents was so esteem-building, because my mom was like, 'I do not think that you should do this. Like, this is — don't do this.' And I was like, 'No, I'm gonna do it. I want to learn how to dance.'"

When the season came along, though, Moore had come around. She and Rumer's father, Bruce Willis, were often found in the audience cheering her on and watching Rumer transform into a dancer, week after week.

After Rumer Willis and Val Chmerkovskiy reigned victorious and won the Mirrorball Trophy, she certainly felt grateful that she went forward with her decision to dance despite her mother's wishes. "I think the whole experience was really special. It's an incredible journey. I don't think you can describe what an intense and unique experience it is. I had the time of my life," Willis gushed in a 2015 interview with Time.

After the finale airs, it's relatively common for the winner of the season to tour with the "Dancing With The Stars: Live!" troupe, which is exactly what Willis confirmed she was going to be a part of to Time. However, the tour itself didn't go exactly as planned.

In June 2015, E! News reported that Willis had a stress fracture in her foot and would be taking time off from dancing for it to heal. However, she didn't have to go home and give up the touring life just yet. "She is hanging up her dancing shoes (for now), but Rumer is still a huge part of the tour and will be singing in various numbers throughout the 90 minute show," a "Dancing With The Stars: Live!" representative confirmed to the outlet.