Bruce Willis’ Wife Emma Heming Reveals ‘Hardest Decision I’ve Had to Make’ After His Dementia Diagnosis

Emma Heming Willis is speaking openly about life with her husband Bruce Willis as he faces frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

The Willis family first shared in March 2022 that Bruce had been diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder that affects speech and communication, which led him to retire from acting. Less than a year later, Emma revealed he was diagnosed with FTD.

In an emotional interview with Diane Sawyer called Emma & Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey, which aired on Aug. 26, Emma described how life has changed since Bruce, now 70, began living with the condition.

“Bruce is in really great health overall, you know. It’s just his brain that is failing him,” Emma told Sawyer, according to ABC News. “The language is going, and, you know, we’ve learned to adapt. And we have a way of communicating with him, which is just a different way.”

She said she believes Bruce still recognizes her. “I know he does. You know, when we are with him… he lights up,” she said. Bruce also remains closely connected to his five daughters. He and Emma share daughters Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11. He also has three adult daughters — Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31 — with ex-wife Demi Moore.

“He’s holding our hands. We’re kissing him. We’re hugging him,” Emma explained. “He is reciprocating. He is into it. And so that’s all I need. I don’t need him to know I am his wife… I just want to feel a connection with him. And I do.”

Emma told Sawyer that the earliest signs of Bruce’s condition were personality changes. For a man who was usually warm and talkative, he became quieter and pulled away. “It was alarming and scary,” she admitted. “I didn’t understand what was happening, and I thought, ‘How can I remain in a marriage that doesn’t feel like what we had?’”

She also recalled that his childhood stutter reappeared, and at work, he began forgetting lines and cues.

When doctors confirmed the FTD diagnosis, Emma said she was told there was “no hope” and no cure. “I just remember hearing it and not hearing anything else. It was like I was free-falling.”

Emma explained that Bruce never fully understood his diagnosis. She quickly shared the news with their daughters. “I’ve always been very open with the girls. I never wanted them to think he wasn’t paying attention to them,” she said. “It was relief, like, ‘OK, now we understand what’s happening.’”

To help Bruce, she stopped hosting playdates and sleepovers for their daughters, since noise could upset him. “I isolated our whole family, and that was by design,” she admitted.

Later, she made what she called “one of the hardest decisions” of her life — moving Bruce into a one-story home where he could get 24-hour care. She still spends breakfast and dinner with him every day.

Emma also shared that there are still moments where Bruce’s personality shines through. “It’s his laugh. Sometimes you’ll see that twinkle in his eye or that smirk. I just get transported,” she said through tears. “And it’s just hard to see, because as quickly as those moments appear, they go.”

Frontotemporal dementia is the most common form of dementia in people under 60. There is no treatment or cure.

Even with the challenges, Emma said she is thankful. “I’m grateful that my husband is still very much here.”

Back in May, Emma spoke at the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement Forum in Las Vegas. She admitted she had felt “lost, isolated and scared” when she first learned of Bruce’s FTD. What she needed, she said, was someone to remind her: “This feels impossible right now, but you will find your footing. You will survive this and you will grow because of it.”

Emma’s book, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, will be released on Sept. 9 and is available for preorder now.