In a heartbreaking admission, Emma Heming Willis shared that Bruce Willis has moved into his own home, a decision she called “the hardest thing,” but one that was necessary as he battles frontotemporal dementia (FTD). It’s a choice that’s sparking a fiery debate online, with some people criticizing the move and others defending her family’s difficult choice.
Emma first opened up about this on the ABC special, Emma & Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey, and the backlash she received was so intense that she had to respond on Instagram. She explained that “dementia plays out differently in everyone’s home” and that outsiders don’t understand the specific dynamics of her family. Now, in a new interview with People, she’s reiterating that this decision was what’s “right for your family dynamic.”
She also said this was and has been crucial for both her husband and their two young daughters, Mabel and Evelyn. Emma said, “I get to go back to being Bruce’s wife and the kids can be kids and there’s beauty in that and I’m so grateful for that. I just get to be with him in these moments and that is because of this set up we have. It’s been helpful for us.”
Bruce Willis’ wife had to let Bruce get the care he needed
According to Emma, the main reason for the move was to provide Bruce with a “calm and serene atmosphere” that his FTD diagnosis requires. She explained that with two young kids, it was important for them to have a home that supported their needs, where they could have “playdates and sleepovers [again] and not have to walk around tiptoeing.” Emma calls this new setup their “second home.”
While some might think the move means Bruce is now isolated, Emma says the opposite is true. She said it has “opened up Bruce’s world” and that the family visits him often since his new home is only a short distance away. She even mentioned that she visits him every single morning and night.
Emma wrote in her book, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, “The truth is that the opinions are so loud and they’re so noisy. But if they don’t have the experience of this, they don’t get a say, and they definitely don’t get a vote.”
It’s clear that Emma is doing what she believes is best for her entire family, even if it’s not a path that everyone understands. While it may be heartbreaking for some to hear that Bruce is no longer living in the main family home, we don’t really know how it is affecting him, so it’s not possible to say if it is right or wrong.
