Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with dementia, his family has shared. Photo / @rumerwillis
Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with dementia, his family has shared. Photo / @rumerwillis
Emma Heming Willis has asked the media to please leave Bruce Willis alone when he’s “out and about”.
“This one is going out to the photographers and video people that are trying to get those exclusives of my husband out and about. Just keep your space,” Heming Willis pleaded in her latest Instagram video.
“Please don’t be yelling at my husband, asking how he’s doing, or whatever. The woo-hooing and the yippee-ki-yays — just don’t do it, OK?” she continued. “Give him the space. Allow for our family or whoever’s with him that day to be able to get him from Point A to Point B safely. That’s my PSA.”
FTD affects the brain lobes behind the forehead, which control problem-solving, behaviour, planning and emotions. It’s a rare type of the disease, forming less than 5 per cent of total dementia cases - but it’s one of the most common forms of dementia in those under 65.
Heming Willis, who has been married to the Die Hard actor since 2009, also shared her experience with caring for her husband amid his dementia diagnosis and the challenges that come with it.
“In service of raising awareness about dementia, because that is my goal, if you are someone who is looking after someone with dementia, you know how difficult and stressful it can be to get someone out into the world and just to navigate them safely, even just to get a cup of coffee,” she said.
Bruce Willis’ daughter, Tallulah Willis, along with his ex-wife, Demi Moore, supported the stepmother in the comment section of the video.
In another post recently shared on social media, Heming Willis admitted that she is seeking support amid her husband’s diagnosis, revealing that she spent time with a dementia specialist Teepa Snow to learn more about the condition and add to her “dementia care toolbox”.
“She’s a loving, compassionate and skilled leader in this space who navigates herself with pure empathy. She’s a gift,” Heming Willis said of Snow.
Snow responded to Willis’ wife’s post, praising her for doing “an absolutely remarkable job of providing the right support for Bruce as his abilities have changed and created a place, space and life that continues to provide him with what he needs to live well.”
Willis’ family revealed in March 2022 that he would be stepping back from acting following his aphasia diagnosis, a communication disorder that affects a person’s ability to process language.
In February 2023, Heming Willis shared on social media that the Red actor had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
“Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces,” Heming Willis wrote in an Instagram caption on a photo of her husband on a beach. “While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis.”
In a more detailed statement, the Willis family shared sincere words of appreciation for their supporters.
Actor Bruce Willis poses with wife Emma Heming, ex-wife Demi Moore and the five children they share. Photo / @demimoore
“Bruce has always found joy in life — and has helped everyone he knows to do the same. It has meant the world to see that sense of care echoed back to him and to all of us,” the statement read, in part.
“We have been so moved by the love you have all shared for our dear husband, father, and friend during this difficult time,” the statement continued. “Your continued compassion, understanding, and respect will enable us to help Bruce live as full a life as possible.”
The message was signed by Heming Willis, her two daughters she shares with Willis, Mabel, 10, Evelyn, 8, as well as the star’s ex-wife, Demi Moore, and the adult children she shares with Willis: Rumer Willis, 34, Scout Willis, 31, and Tallulah, 29.
