Bruce Willis’ wife Emma Heming Willis has opened up about the Hollywood actor’s battle with frontotemporal dementia in a moving interview
Emma Heming Willis has opened up about her life with Bruce Willis as he battles frontotemporal dementia (FTD), following his diagnosis in 2023.
In a heartfelt chat with Diane Sawyer for the ABC special Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey, Emma revealed how glimpses of her husband still emerge in touching moments, despite his struggle with dementia.
“We get moments,” she explained. “It’s his laugh, right? Like, he has such a hearty laugh and, you know, sometimes you’ll see that twinkle in his eye or that smirk and I just get like transported.”
Emma paused before confessing tearfully: “And it’s just hard to see because as quickly as those moments appear, (snaps fingers) it goes. That’s hard.”
The programme, which was previewed on Tuesday’s Good Morning America, disclosed that approximately 50,000 Americans are living with FTD – a disorder that can prove challenging to diagnose.
For 70 year old Bruce, the transformation from his naturally warm personality to someone emotionally detached proved deeply unsettling for Emma, his former wife Demi Moore, and their children, reports the Mirror.
“He felt a little removed, very cold, not like Bruce,” Emma remembered. “Who is very warm and affectionate. To go the complete opposite of that was alarming and scary.”
Bruce’s devoted wife, who has become his full-time carer, admitted that the journey to his diagnosis was incredibly difficult.
“I was so panicked,” Emma revealed about first hearing the words “frontotemporal dementia”. “I remember hearing it and just not hearing anything else. It was like I was free-falling.”
When questioned about whether Bruce truly understood what was occurring, she replied softly: “I don’t think Bruce connected the dots.”
Emma has since taken on the role of Bruce’s full-time carer. The couple share two daughters, Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11, whilst the Die Hard icon also has three grown-up daughters, Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31, with former wife Demi Moore.
Despite the enormous obstacles they face, Emma revealed that Bruce remains in good physical condition as she provided a health update. “Bruce is still very mobile. Bruce is in really great health overall, you know. It’s just his brain that is failing him.”
As his capacity to communicate diminishes, the family has discovered alternative methods to maintain their bond with the 70 year old star. “We have a way of communicating with him that is just a different, a different way,” she explained.
“But I’m grateful. I’m grateful that my husband is still very much here.”
Bruce received his official diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in February 2023. This came after an initial announcement in March 2022, when his relatives disclosed he was retiring from acting due to aphasia, a disorder that impacts language and communication abilities.
Following a more detailed assessment, the diagnosis was revised to FTD, a more specific and progressive neurodegenerative disorder.
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