In a stark reminder that time is all we have, Bruce Willis has all but disappeared from the spotlight since his diagnosis with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The tragedy began to unfold when his family announced that Bruce would be stepping away from acting in 2022 because of aphasia, but the true diagnosis eventually revealed itself to be FTD. Emma Heming Willis, Bruce’s forty-six-year old wife, described FTD to Katie Couric in a Town & Country interview, saying, “FTD affects the frontal part of the brain and the temporal lobes, so it can affect movement, behavior, and language, and because it’s progressive it can also spread. For Bruce, it started in his temporal lobes and then has spread to the frontal part of his brain.”
As for how it’s affected their family, she told the outlet, “This disease is misdiagnosed, it’s missed, it’s misunderstood, so finally getting to a diagnosis was key so that I could learn what frontotemporal dementia is and I could educate our children. I’ve never tried to sugarcoat anything for them.” She and Bruce share two daughters, 12-year-old Mabel Ray Willis and 10-year-old Evelyn Penn Willis.
Bruce and his family have been largely private about what has been going on, but we’ve seen snippets of happiness and heartache from his wife, his ex-wife (“The Substance” star Demi Moore), and the three adult daughters that Moore and him share — Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah. And while it’s a tragedy to know we are slowly losing the icon that appeared in “Die Hard,” “The Sixth Sense,” and “Death Becomes Her,” the response to the diagnosis paints a picture of compassion and familial gratitude.
He made a surprise appearance to thank first responders
When we think of Bruce Willis, we think of a man who takes action, and when the city that birthed Hollywood needed him most, he appeared to show his gratitude to the people who keep it safe. In a post to Instagram, Emma Heming Willis showed a black and white video of Bruce shaking hands and posing for pictures with members of the Los Angeles Police Department. In response to the recent wildfires that have ravaged Southern California, she captioned the post, “Spotting a first responder, Bruce never missed a chance to show his gratitude with a heartfelt handshake and a ‘thank you for your service.’ Yesterday was no different.”
The short and sweet clip was the most recent look at Bruce that we’ve seen and he appeared in good spirits as he touted a New York Yankees cap and seemed to chat briefly with the officers. The feel good post resonated with fans and well-wishers in the comments section, with one particularly poignant user writing, “This brought tears to my eyes! My dad (who was a retired police officer and who also suffered from FTD) would do the same thing,” adding that, “Even as things progressed, his eyes would light up with familiarity and recognition whenever he saw a person in uniform. Thank you for sharing!” It was a welcome return to our screens for an acting giant who retired with a final role not exactly suited for his legacy.
His wife has been questioning, why us?
In the aftermath of such a tragic diagnosis, Bruce Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis, has become a tragedy of her own as she struggles with the most difficult question of all, “Why us?” In a heartbreaking Instagram post to commemorate her and Bruce’s 17-year-anniversary, Emma wrote, “Anniversaries used to bring excitement — now, if I’m honest, they stir up all the feelings, leaving a heaviness in my heart and a pit in my stomach. I give myself 30 minutes to sit in the ‘why him, why us,’ to feel the anger and grief.” The caption comes along with a photo of the two standing in their swimsuits in the water at sunset, smiling as they hold each other, presumably from a time long before Bruce’s FTD diagnosis.
When Emma appeared on “Today,” she spoke to the hosts about dementia, saying, “It’s hard on the person diagnosed, it’s also hard on the family. And that is no different for Bruce, or myself, or our girls. When they say this is a family disease, it really is.” Emma also gave the absolutely heartbreaking response that “it’s hard to know” if Bruce knows what is happening to him. Still, Emma refused to finish her post by wading in misery, instead finding strength and finishing off her Instagram post by saying, “Then I shake it off and return to what is. And what is… is unconditional love. I feel blessed to know it, and it’s because of him. I’d do it all over again and again in a heartbeat.”
His wife has become an advocate for FTD
“We had so many plans, so many beautiful things we wanted to do with our girls, so many things that we wanted to experience together. You just rip that page out completely, and then how do you rewrite the story?” Emma Heming Willis answered her own question to “Town & Country” by refocusing her and Bruce Willis’ life and committing her time and energy to become an advocate for him, and for frontotemporal dementia patients everywhere.
On the importance of advocacy, Emma told the outlet, “There is no treatment, which is why I’m out there raising awareness, so that they can see that we have some agency in this. I’m not going to allow FTD to take our whole family down. Bruce wouldn’t want that.” She gave her inspired goal to “Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper,” saying, “I’ve seen others raise awareness for other important causes and illnesses close to their hearts and the changes that have followed have been remarkable. I’m inspired and motivated by that fact. My goal is to see an end to FTD.” Until then, it appears that she and the family are taking good care of Bruce, because photos show that he’s still looking good.
Demi Moore has had to meet Bruce where he’s at now
While Demi Moore may have memories of her previous life with former-husband Bruce Willis, she has had to learn to meet him where he’s at. First and foremost, she told CNN, that “Given the givens, he’s in a very stable place at the moment.” And given that, People reported that “The Substance” star spoke about her former husband at the Hamptons International Film Festival and said, “When you’re holding on to what was, I think it’s a losing game.” In spending time with Bruce since his diagnosis, she added that, “When you show up to meet them where they’re at, there is great beauty and sweetness.”
The headline-grabbing couple, and “Mortal Thoughts” co-stars, divorced in 2000. However, while A-list separation often invites bitterness and tabloid sniping, in a 2009 interview with W magazine, Bruce said, “Demi and I made a choice to put the kids first, and we’re really lucky that it turns out we all have fun together. I still love her, and I have a lot of respect for how she lives her life.” The bittersweet quote makes us hope that Bruce will always remember that time they wore matching pajamas and held giant utensils during quarantine.
His daughters have learned to live in the moment
Bruce Willis’ diagnosis has also inspired his daughters to look at their own lives differently. Daughter, Tallulah Willis, stopped by “Today” to talk to Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie, to speak on how her father’s diagnosis affected her, saying, “It’s really shown me to not take any moment for granted, and I really do think that we’d be best friends. I think he’s very proud of me.” She then echoed her mother’s advice that, “You have to be in the moment. You have to be present.” She showed off some of that gratitude in a picture with her other sister, Scout Willis, on Instagram, where they hugged their dad while he held a small placard that said, “Best dad ever.”
But Bruce has a deep bench of support, with his blended family always cheering each other on. When Emma Heming Willis’ appeared on “Today” to update the world on Bruce’s condition, his middle daughter Scout Willis showed not an inch of acrimony towards her step-mother, and reposted an Instagram story that said, “Emma you are such a champion for this cause and you inspire me every single f****** day with your bravery and deep deep loving. Your courage is moving mountains.” In “Town & Country,” Emma doubled-down on everyone being all-hands-on-deck for Bruce, saying, “I’m so thankful that we are this blended family. They’re very supportive, very loving, and very helpful, and a lot of people don’t have that.” It proves yet again that even amidst tragedy, Bruce has found a way to bring people together.
