
Bruce Willis’s wife Emma Heming Willis recently opened up about the actor’s health status after it was diagnosed that he is suffering from frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Appearing on the Monday episode of “Today” to bring awareness to the disease during World Frontotemporal Dementia Awareness week, Emma said thather family’s life has changed since the diagnosis.
“What I’m learning is that dementia is hard,” Emma said. “It’s hard on the person diagnosed. It’s also hard on the family. And that is no different for Bruce, or myself, or our girls. When they say that this is a family disease, it really is.”
When the host prodded her if he was aware of his surroundings, Emma responded saying, “Hard to know. It’s hard to know.”
Emma, however, pointed out that there is still plenty of joy in her family, despite the diagnosis. “There are so many beautiful things happening in our lives. It’s just really important for me to look up from the grief and the sadness so that I can see what is happening around us. Bruce would really want us to be in the joy of what is. He would really want that for me and our family,” she said.
Willis’ family announced his retirement from acting last year as a result of the diagnosis. At the time, their statement read, “To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities. As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.”
Signs of FTD can include speech issues, difficulty with motor skills like walking, and changes in behaviour and personality. The frontal lobe of the brain, which is impacted by the disease, controls self-insight, which can result in Bruce’s understanding of his situation.
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