Emma Heming Willis is opening up about the challenges of caring for her husband, legendary actor Bruce Willis, following his diagnosis with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), per hollywoodreporter.com. In a recent interview, she shared that she made the difficult decision to move him to a “second home” to ensure he receives 24-hour care.
The 70-year-old actor, who retired from his career in 2023, was first diagnosed with aphasia, which affects communication, before receiving the official FTD diagnosis. FTD is a brain disease that impacts a person’s personality, behaviour and language. Heming Willis explained that she first noticed changes when the actor became quieter and less engaged.
Despite his failing brain, Heming Willis says Bruce remains physically healthy and mobile, and she believes he still recognises her and their family. “When we are with him, he lights up,” she shared, adding that he is “reciprocating” their love and affection.
She said the decision to move him was “one of the hardest” she’s had to make, but that she knew it was what he would want for their daughters. She added that the new home is “filled with love and warmth and care and laughter” and the family spends a lot of time with him there.
Heming Willis, who has two daughters with Bruce and a new book on caregiving releasing soon, has become a vocal advocate for others in similar situations, saying their shared experiences of “sadness and grief and anger” create a “common thread” that connects them.
