NEWSBruce Willis' Dementia Battle: Wife Emma Admits 'It's 'Hard to Know' If Actor Is Aware of His Condition
Emma Heming Willis got emotional when opening up about her husband Bruce's heartbreaking dementia battle.
The model, 45, sat down for an interview with Hoda Kotb during the Monday, September 25, episode of Today, where she was more honest than ever about the Die Hard actor's condition and the profound effect his disease has had on their family.
Emma Heming Willis sat down for a remarkably candid interview about Bruce Willis' dementia battle.
When the journalist asked if her spouse was aware of the state of his health and what was happening to him, Emma explained, "It's hard to know."
"What I'm learning is that dementia is hard," admitted the entrepreneur, who shares daughters Mabel, 11, and Evelyn, 9, with Bruce, 68. "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."
Emma Heming Willis said it's 'hard to know' if Bruce Willis is aware of his condition.
In March 2022, the Willis family revealed to the world that the patriarch had been diagnosed with aphasia and would be leaving his illustrious acting career behind. By February 2023, Bruce's condition progressed into frontotemporal dementia, which, unfortunately, has no cure.
"To finally understand what was happening so that I could be into the acceptance of what is — it doesn't make it any less painful, but ... just being in the know of what is happening to Bruce makes it a little easier," the mother-of-two revealed, adding that the official diagnosis was "the blessing and the curse."
Emma Heming Willis admitted that dementia is a 'family disease.'
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Emma made it clear that she sees herself as a "care partner" rather than a "caretaker" for Bruce. "It's important for care partners to look after themselves so that they can be the best care partner for the person they're caring for," she explained to Kotb.
The brunette beauty also gushed over how the Armageddon star has been "the gift that keeps on giving" when raising their young girls. "It's teaching them so much and how to care and love, and it's really a beautiful thing amongst the sadness," Emma added.
Demi Moore has been a source of support for both Emma Heming Willis and Bruce Willis amid the actor's dementia battle.
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As Bruce's loved ones continue to soak up every moment they have with him, his ex-wife, Demi Moore — with whom he shares daughters Rumer, 35, Scout, 32, and Tallulah, 29 — has been a source of support for both her former husband and his new partner.
"Demi has been a rock for Bruce," a source explained of the Striptease star, his spouse from 1987 until 2000. "She's told him and Emma that she's there for him 24/7 during this illness. If he takes a bad turn, she'll drop everything to be by his side."
