Emma Heming Willis thinks openly about her family’s shared moment Bruce Willis’ frontotemporal dementia Diagnosis.
In 2023, Emma, Bruce’s ex-wife Demi Moore and his three eldest daughters Rumer, Scout and Tallulah Willis shared the news with the world – via a joint declaration – that a year after the star’s aphasia diagnosis, his condition progressed.
“Since we announced Bruce’s diagnosis of aphasia in the spring of 2022, Bruce’s condition has progressed and we now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia (known as FTD).). Unfortunately, difficulty communicating is just a symptom of the illness Bruce is facing. While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis,” the statement reads in part.
FTD is a dementia-related disorder that primarily affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, affecting an individual’s personality, behavior and language, it said Mayo Clinic.
On Tuesday, Emma attended the 2024 AFTD Education Conference, where she revealed how emotional her and Bruce’s young daughters Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 9, inspired the family’s decision to go public.
“First and foremost, it was so isolating and I tried to keep it a secret and actually it was about our daughters,” she said. “I never wanted them to think that this was some kind of family secret that we had to keep. Like it was very important for us to come out and say what it was. I wanted them to see us going out and raising awareness and stuff like that on a global scale because that’s the kind of reach that their dad has. And I know he wanted us to do that.
Emma – who has been married to Bruce since 2009 and is her main carer – cried as she recounted how much weight was lifted from her shoulders after she went public and “reclaimed her power”.
“I could breathe,” she said through tears. “I could actually breathe out and feel the weight lift off my shoulders. Everything changed for the better when we were able to announce his diagnosis. I was able to seek the support I so desperately needed for my husband and for us as a whole family.”
She continued, “I wanted to make something good out of something that was just terrible.”
Emma also pointed out the importance of sharing the moment with Bruce’s ex-wife and their three daughters, noting that despite the pain, they are closer than ever.
“He’s very popular in our family,” she said. “And fortunately for us and our family, we have always been close. To say that we are even closer is definitely possible.”
At the end of the talk, Emma reiterated how great the sense of community is for those whose families care for and live with someone with FTD.
“It’s a very traumatic experience,” she said, crying. “But there’s so much beauty that comes from it.”
Since sharing his diagnosis, Emma has spoken publicly on social media Debunk myths and theories about Bruce’s conditionbut also highlight the beautiful moments with her husband, including their 15th wedding anniversary.
Last month, Emma got out with Bruce’s daughter Tallulahto celebrate him at TCM’s 30th anniversary screening Pulp Fiction.
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