11 of the juiciest celebrity memoirs ever written: from Demi Moore’s takedown of Ashton Kutcher and Prince Harry’s revelations about William, to Mariah Carey and Jessica Simpson exposing Tommy Mottola

Nov 14 , 2023

Jessica Simpson slammed music exec Tommy Mottola in her 2023 memoir, while Demi Moore wrote about her difficult marriage to Ashton Kutcher, and Barbra Streisand delved deep into friendships with King Charles and Princess Diana. Photos: @jessicasimpson/Instagram, AP, Handout

Britney Spears and Jada Pinkett-Smith’s revelations about their former partners may have raised a few eyebrows recently, and Barbra Streisand just dropped a 992-page epic

Sadly, many stars talk of addiction and mental health struggles, including Matthew Perry and Elliot Page, while others, such as Matthew McConaughey, reveal themselves to be downright quirky

Celebrity memoirs are nearly always explosive. So much is speculated about the lives of the famous few, that when they finally get to set the record set, revelations abound. Most recently, Britney Spears caused a furore with her tell-all memoir, The Woman in Me, revealing, among other things, that she had an abortion when she was with Justin Timberlake, when the young pop stars were just 19.

Britney Spears recounts her years as a superstar who became a victim of her success in her memoir The Woman in Me. Photo: AFP

Similarly, Jada Pinkett-Smith’s memoir, Worthy, released in October, finally lifted the lid on her and Will Smith’s relationship, with the Matrix revealing that Hollywood power couple have in fact been separated for years – and that Tupac Shakur once asked her to marry him.

So who else has revealed their true selves by putting it all down in a highly saleable tome? Here’s a few of our favourites.

Demi Moore, Inside Out

Demi Moore with her former husband Ashton Kutcher, at the 2013 premiere for No Strings Attached, in which the latter starred. Photo: AP Photo

Demi Moore famously didn’t hold back in her naming of big Hollywood and establishment figures in her 2019 memoir Inside Out. From the fact that former president George Bush’s twin daughters “ended up doing bong hits” at former husband Ashton Kutcher’s house, to the shocking revelation that About Last Night director Ed Zwick would only cast her if she lost weight. But she saved most of her vitriol for Ashton Kutcher who she describes as becoming “less and less present” before their 2013 divorce and eventually cheating on her. Ouch.

Prince Harry, Spare

Prince Harry’s memoir Spare was expected to ruffle feathers – but few expected to stark depiction of palace life that the UK royal unleashed in January 2013. Phot: AP Photo

To say Prince Harry’s memoir dropped bombshell after bombshell is an understatement. Following shortly after his explosive Netflix documentary, it marked the first time a senior royal had revealed such intimate details about life within the British institution. Among the revelations were that Prince William assaulted him in his kitchen, the fact that he lost his virginity to an older woman, and an admission that he and his brother had tried to persuade his father not to marry (now queen) Camilla.

Matthew McConaughey, Greenlights

Matthew McConaughey’s Greenlights. Photo: Handout

“This is a playbook, based on adventures in my life. Adventures that have been significant, enlightening, and funny, sometimes because they were meant to be but mostly because they didn’t try to be,” explained McConaughey ahead of his memoir’s release. And he wasn’t kidding. Various slightly absurd episodes include his father resuscitating his pet bird, and his embarking on two life-changing journeys to Mali and Peru after having vivid dreams about floating naked down the Amazon River.