In brief
Emma Heming Willis, the wife of actor Bruce Willis, has opened up about her husband's battle with frontotemporal dementia. She emphasizes his overall good health but sheds light on the challenges of his declining cognitive abilities. In her upcoming book, she aims to provide support and guidance to other caregivers, emphasizing the importance of communication and adapting to new dynamics within relationships. Despite the emotional toll, she expresses gratitude for the moments of clarity and connection with her husband.
Emma Heming Willis, the wife of retired US actor Bruce Willis, has spoken for the first time publicly about how his brain is failing him and his language is going. The Sixth Sense and Die Hard star, 70, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia more than three years ago.
Bruce is still very mobile. Bruce is in really great health overall, you know, she told ABC News via Good Morning America on Tuesday. It's just his brain that is failing him.
The author of an upcoming book about her family's experience with dementia, Heming Willis also advocated for fellow carers. The language is going, and, you know, we've learned to adapt, she added. And we have a way of communicating with him, which is just a... different way.
The Willis family revealed in 2023 that the star had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, which, according to the NHS website, is an uncommon type of dementia that causes problems with behaviour and language. It is estimated by Alzheimer's Research UK to affect more than 30,000 people around the country.
Heming Willis said she hopes her new book, titled Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, can serve as a road map and guide for other carers whose lives may be similarly affected by dementia.
The family - including the couple's two young daughters, and Bruce's other three daughters with former partner, actress Demi Moore - still see flashes of his true personality, Heming Willis noted, as well as the twinkle in his eye.
She continued, And it's just hard to see, because as quickly as those moments appear, then it goes. It's hard. But I'm grateful. I'm grateful that my husband is still very much here.
Samantha Benham-Hermetz, executive director at Alzheimer's Research UK, described Heming Willis's decision to speak publicly about her husband's diagnosis as a powerful act of courage, saying her words will resonate with so many people affected by dementia.
Heming Willis was speaking in a preview of ABC's special, Emma & Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey, which will stream on Disney+ and Hulu.
