Bruce Willis' wife Emma has spoken about the actor's health after he had been diagnosed with FTD (Frontotemporal Dementia)
She said his brain "is failing him" and his "language is going"
Emma revealed how the early signs of the condition changed Bruce's personality
Legendary actor Bruce Willis, 70, who is known for films like Die Hard, The Sixth Sense, Pulp Fiction, and others, had been diagnosed with FTD (Frontotemporal Dementia). His wife Emma Heming, 47, announced Bruce's diagnosis publicly in 2023. It has been more than three years since the diagnosis, and she has been diligently taking care of her husband. In an interview, Emma shared her journey as a caregiver and also Bruce's health update.
Emma Heming Willis on Bruce Willis' dementia diagnosis
Heming Willis, who is the author of a new book, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, told ABC News that there was a change in Bruce's personality. "For someone who is very talkative and very engaged he was a little more quiet,” Emma said. “And when the family would get together, he’d just melt a little bit.”
She also shared that Bruce became “indifferent” and began “pulling away” from her. He also felt a "little removed, a little cold, not like Bruce, who is very warm and affectionate. To go the complete opposite of that was alarming and scary". She didn’t understand what was happening and thought of how she could remain in a marriage that didn't feel like what they had.
Emma revealed Bruce started "missing lines and cues and sometimes seeming confused, and no one knew why."
She was told that there was neither a cure nor hope. She panicked. "With a diagnosis I couldn’t pronounce. I didn’t understand what it was. I was so panicked. I just remember hearing it and just not hearing anything else. It was like I was free-falling," she said.
Heming Willis also shared that after the diagnosis, she worked 24/7 to care for Bruce and keep him safe in their home.
"I didn't know if parents would feel comfortable leaving their child at our home, so, again, not only was I isolated, I isolated our whole family. You know, the girls were isolated too, and that was by design, I was doing that," Heming Willis said. "It was a hard time. It was a really hard time."
Bruce Willis' health update
Emma said Bruce is in "great health overall" and added, "It's just his brain that is failing him. The language is going, and you know, we've learned to adapt. And we have a way of communicating with him, which is just a different, a different way."
Emma feels Bruce recognises her. "I know he does. You know, when we are with him... he lights up," she said.
She is grateful that her husband is "still very much here."
