Bruce Willis announced his retirement from acting in March 2022, following a diagnosis of aphasia, a condition affecting his language and communication skills.
In 2023, the former actor's family revealed he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. With Bruce now aged 70, his wife, Emma Heming Willis, 47, has shared an update on the way his devastating diagnosis has shaped their lives together.
Emma documents the monumental shift in the couple's situation in the emotional documentary, Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey – A Diane Sawyer Interview.
Airing on ABC News on August 26 and now streaming on Disney+, the 60-minute ABC News special saw Emma opening up about how the family have been forced to adapt, while in conversation with journalist Diane Sawyer.
While Emma discusses how her husband's brain "is failing him" how and his "language is going," she balances this with the positive moments the couple still share.
Emma, who married Bruce in 2009 and shares two daughters with him – Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11 – says her husband still has a "twinkle in his eye." This has been noted by his daughters with Emma, and the three he shares with former wife, Demi Moore.
"Not days, but we get moments," Emma elaborates when talking about Bruce's spark, adding, "It's his laugh, right? He has such a hearty laugh. And sometimes you'll see that twinkle in his eye, or that smirk, and I just get transported."
However, she does reveal that these moments are fleeting and only seen in small moments. But she welcomes them all the same, continuing, "I'm grateful. I'm grateful that my husband is still very much here."
Emma has written this book about her family's journey with dementia, set to be released on 9 September, focusing on how to care for yourself while caring for a loved one with dementia.
According to the Alzheimer's Society, frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is one of the less common types of the condition. Formerly known as Pick's disease, the first noticeable signs include personality and behaviour changes, or difficulties with language.
This is different from the early symptoms of more common forms of dementia, where early symptoms often involve short-term memory loss. With FTD, many don’t have a significant problem with their memory during early symptom onset.
Emma reveals that Bruce remains in good health, aside from "his brain failing him" – no doubt this is very difficult for her to accept, knowing their lives would be very different if it weren't for dementia.
"Bruce is still very mobile. Bruce is in really great health overall, you know," she told ABC News.
As a family, Emma and Bruce's daughters have needed to adapt the way they communicate with him, learning as they go along.
"The language is going, and, you know, we've learned to adapt," she explains, continuing, "and we have a way of communicating with him, which is just a different way."
The documentary and every way Emma has been so candid about Bruce's diagnosis has been praised by experts and dementia charities.
In her initial statement announcing the former actor's FTD, Emma acknowledged they would continue to do all they could to continue shining a light on the condition.
"Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others, and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately," the statement read.
It continued, “We know in our hearts that – if he could today – he would want to respond by bringing global attention and a connectedness with those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it impacts so many individuals and their families."
