Bruce Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in 2023 following the discovery of aphasia – a brain disorder which leads to difficulty in understanding or producing speech
Bruce Willis’ wife said she wishes she could “have a conversation” with the Hollywood legend.
Fighting back the tears, Emma Heming Willis made the heartbreaking revelation yesterday as she opened up about Bruce’s journey with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) with which he was diagnosed in 2023. It came following the discovery of aphasia – a brain disorder which leads to difficulty in understanding or producing speech in the previous year.
Doctors have over the years outlined key dementia symptoms of which people should be wary. Dr Jim Jackson, a neuropsychologist and research professor at Vanderbilt Medical Centre, listed four subtle symptoms, explaining that people with the condition might behave in “socially inappropriate and even antisocial ways” and may “display striking apathy or disinterest in things”.
He added: “[People] may demonstrate clear impairments in judgment, and may experience problems in language – problems including diminished faculty with language, whether speaking or understanding.”
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Bruce’s challenges with his speech have arisen largely as a result of the aphasia but, when dementia worsens, difficulty with the memory can make conversations tricky.
Speaking to Diane Sawyer in an ABC special called Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey, Emma said: “I’d ask how he’s doing, if he’s okay, he feels okay. If there’s anything that we could do to support him better. I would really love to know that. If he’s scared. If he’s ever worried. I just would love to be able to just to have a conversation with him.”
Dementia is a collection of symptoms caused by different diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. In addition to Dr Jackson’s signs, common ones include difficulty concentrating and finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks. The symptoms below are on the NHS website.
List of common dementia symptoms
- finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping
- struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word
- being confused about time and place
Dr Hilary lists the early symptoms of dementia
Bruce, 70, retired from the acting industry after his aphasia diagnosis in 2022, ending a remarkable 42-year career. During this period, he won several awards, including a Golden Globe in 1987 for his role in comedy-drama series Moonlighting.
One of his last role was in the action film Detective Knight: Independence, released in 2023, to which Bruce was able to commit after receiving huge support in the acting industry. While he has stepped away from work, Bruce’s personal circumstances have changed as he and Emma are also living separately.
The couple married in 2009, nine years after Bruce and Demi Moore divorced. Demi herself spoke to reporters about her ex-husband’s health journey last year, stressing it was important she and Bruce maintained “a family unit” for the sake of their grown-up children.