Die Hard actor Bruce Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023, and his wife Emma Heming has now spoken out about the challenges of caring for him
Bruce Willis’ wife, Emma Heming, is standing her ground against criticism of her decision to move the actor out of their family home as he battles frontotemporal dementia.
During Tuesday’s episode of Good Morning America, the 47 year old actress acknowledged the judgement she has faced online but emphasised that the move was in the best interest of her husband and their daughters, Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11. “[It] was the safest and best decision – not just for Bruce, but also for our two young girls,’ she told Michael Strahan. “And, you know, it’s really not up for a debate.”
Heming explained that having Willis live in a second home with a full-time care team ensures his needs are met around the clock, while also safeguarding their daughters’ wellbeing. “Now I know that Bruce has the best care 100% of the time. His needs are met 100% of the time, as well as our two young daughters. So I’m not gonna take a vote on that.”
The Die Hard star, 70, was diagnosed in 2023 with frontotemporal dementia, a condition that affects language and personality, and leads to gradual cognitive decline. While promoting her new book, The Unexpected Journey, Heming reflected on how caregivers are often unfairly judged.
“Caregivers are so judged, and it just goes to show that people sometimes just have an opinion versus really having the experience,” she said.
The author continued: “I’ll say that dementia plays out differently in every household. If you’ve seen one case of dementia, it’s one case of dementia. So you have to do what is right for your family and what is going to keep your loved one safe, as well as your young children.”
She emphasised the importance of doing what’s right for your family and keeping loved ones safe, especially when dealing with dementia. Her ‘wake-up call’ came when a neurologist revealed that caregivers often pass away before their loved ones.
She confessed: “I’m not a failure because I need help. It’s okay for me to raise my hand. I didn’t realise that,” she admitted. “I really needed permission for someone to tell me that it’s okay to get help.
“That’s what I hope this book does for caregivers: it gives them permission to care for themselves. Because if they don’t, how will they be able to show up and continue to care for the person that they love?” she added.
Last month, during the ABC special Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey, Heming shared that Willis had been moved into a one-story home better suited to his needs. “Bruce would want that for our daughters. He would want them to be in a home that was more tailored to their needs, not his needs,” she told Diane Sawyer.
Willis’ daughters frequently visit their father for breakfast and dinner, and Heming said their family continues to find ways to spend meaningful time together. She added: “When we go over, either we’re outside, or we’re watching a movie… it’s just really about being able to be there, and connect with Bruce. It is a house that is filled with love, and warmth, and care, and laughter. And it’s been beautiful to see that, to see how many of Bruce’s friends continue to show up for him, and they bring in life.”
Elsewhere in the chat, Sawyer asked Heming Willis what she would ask her husband today if she had the chance. The former model replied: “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.”
Willis is father to adult daughters Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31, from his previous marriage to Demi Moore, 62. When a brain scan confirmed the FTD diagnosis, Heming Willis admitted she was ‘so panicked’ hearing the diagnosis she “couldn’t pronounce” for the first time. “I remember hearing it and just not hearing anything else. It was like I was freefalling.”
When questioned if she thought the Pulp Fiction star understood what was happening, Heming Willis said ‘I don’t think Bruce connected the dots’. Heming Willis has now become a full-time carer for her husband and has penned a book about her experience. The Unexpected Journey hit the shelves on 9 September.
Speaking of her husband’s current condition, she said: “Bruce is still very mobile. Bruce is in really great health overall, you know. It’s just his brain that is failing him.”
As the Sixth Sense star loses his ability to speak, Emma revealed the family has ‘learned to adapt.’ “We have a way of communicating with him that is just a different, a different way, but I’m grateful. I’m grateful that my husband is still very much here,” she also revealed.
She highlighted the subtle yet ‘alarming’ initial signs that he was grappling with dementia. She said: “For someone who is really talkative, very engaged, he was just a little more quiet, and when the family would get together he would kind of just melt a little bit.”
Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .