Emma Heming, woman of Hollywood fable Bruce Willis, has publically opened up astir nan 70-year-old star’s ongoing struggle pinch frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a information he was diagnosed pinch successful 2023.
She revealed to ABC’s Diane Sawyer that Willis’ encephalon is “failing”, and his expertise to pass is deteriorating, stating, “His encephalon is failing, and nan connection is slipping away.”
Despite nan difficulties posed by nan progressive neurodegenerative disease, Heming shared that Willis is still “very active” and is successful “good health” overall. She explained nan family’s efforts to adapt, saying, “We’ve had to adjust, and we person a measurement of communicating pinch him that is simply different.”
“Toughest choice” marks tragic infinitesimal for Bruce Willis’ family
Heming besides divulged a important and difficult determination she and Willis’ children precocious made: that of moving him into a attraction location – to a single-storey 2nd location wherever he tin person 24-hour care. She described it arsenic nan “toughest” choice, but, she says, she remains committed to spending clip pinch him, sharing meal and meal regular to support their connection. “Presence is still nan invisible thread that keeps america connected,” she said.
Willis’ wellness issues first came to nationalist attraction successful 2022 erstwhile he retired from acting owed to aphasia, a information that later progressed to FTD. In February 2023, Heming, Willis’ ex-wife Demi Moore, and his daughters, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel Ray, and Evelyn Penn, released a connection confirming nan FTD diagnosis. They explained, “Since we announced Bruce’s aphasia test successful outpouring 2022, his information has progressed, and we now person a much circumstantial diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia. Communication challenges are conscionable 1 denotation of nan illness Bruce faces. While painful, it’s a alleviation to yet person a clear diagnosis.”
Bruce Willis’ family continues to rally round
The family continues to rally astir Willis. His eldest daughter, Rumer, precocious paid tribute to her begetter connected Instagram for Father’s Day connected June 15, 2025. In an affectional station accompanied by a carousel of photos, she lamented, “I wish I had asked you much questions while you could still show maine everything.”
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is simply a uncommon shape of dementia, accounting for astir 10-20 per cent of each dementia cases, pinch an estimated prevalence of 15-22 per 100,000 group globally, according to nan Alzheimer’s Association. Unlike Alzheimer’s, FTD often strikes younger people, typically betwixt ages 40 and 65, and progresses rapidly, changing behaviour, language, and personality.
Families of those pinch FTD, for illustration Willis’, look awesome affectional and caregiving challenges, pinch studies indicating that 70 per cent of carers acquisition precocious levels of accent and burnout owed to nan disease’s demanding nature. Support systems, including 24-hour attraction arsenic chosen by Emma Heming, are critical, yet only astir 30 per cent of FTD patients successful nan US person entree to specialised attraction facilities.