Emma Heming Willis is clearing up a major misconception about her husband Bruce Willis’ health amid his battle with dementia. The former model appeared on Monday’s episode of The Bossticks podcast, where she explained that frontotemporal dementia (FTD) has three different variants.
“The one that Bruce has affects language, but there’s another variant that will affect behaviour and another one that could affect movement,” she explained. When asked whether Bruce’s memory is affected, Emma replied, “No, it doesn’t.”
Different from Alzheimer’s
She clarified: “That’s a different part of the brain. So when people say, ‘Oh, you know, does he remember who you are?’ Well, he does because he doesn’t have Alzheimer’s; he has FTD.” Emma continued: “I think that’s a very common misconception that, when you think of dementia, we think of memory loss.”
Emma, 47, then said that Bruce, 71, knows who people are, including his five daughters. “It’s different (from) Alzheimer’s,” she said. “Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, but FTD is the most common form of dementia for people under the age of 60.”
Bruce Willis’ Diagnosis History
Willis’ family announced in March 2022 that the Die Hard star would be stepping away from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia. The following February, Bruce’s family revealed his FTD diagnosis. “While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis,” Emma, the action star’s ex-wife Demi Moore, and his five daughters with both women said at the time. “FTD is a cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and can strike anyone. For people under 60, FTD is the most common form of dementia, and because getting the diagnosis can take years, FTD is likely much more prevalent than we know.”
Grappling with New Caregiver Responsibilities
In another interview, published Sunday in the Spanish newspaper El Pais, Emma spoke about what it has been like to be Bruce’s caregiver, a role she shares with Moore and Bruce and Demi’s older daughters, Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 32. “Walking out of (the doctor’s office) with nothing was really hard,” Emma told the outlet. “And then realizing that, ‘OK, I have to figure this out. I have to understand what support now is needed for Bruce, for our two young children,’ ” she added, referring to their daughters, Mabel, 14, and Evelyn, 12.
She revealed she had to come to terms with her husband’s FTD diagnosis, while also adapting to becoming a caregiver. “For me, it was about really understanding that there is nothing that I can do to change the outcome of this disease,” she told El Pais. “And I’ve tried; I’ve tried everything that I possibly can, but there is no treatment, there is no cure for this disease, so I’ve been able to educate myself, surround myself with people who are way smarter than me and who have been on this journey longer than me.”
She added: “I’m not a perfect caregiver. I think as caregivers and parents, we’re just trying to do the best that we can. And my daughters know that.”
Support and Awareness
Emma continues to raise awareness about FTD, emphasizing the importance of understanding the disease and supporting caregivers. The Willis family remains united in navigating this challenging journey together.
