NEWSBruce Willis' Wife Emma Admits Anniversaries Bring 'Anger and Grief' Amid Actor's Dementia Battle: 'Why Him?'
Emma Heming Willis said she has 'unconditional love' for her husband, Bruce Willis.
Emma Heming Willis got candid about how anniversaries feel amid husband Bruce Willis’ frontotemporal dementia battle.
On Sunday, December 29, the mother-of-two — who shares Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 10, with the actor — uploaded an old photo of the couple as they posed in Turks and Caicos along with a touching message to mark 17 years together.
'I’d do it all over again and again in a heartbeat,' Emma Heming Willis said of being with Bruce Willis despite his illness.
“17 years of us ❤️ Anniversaries used to bring excitement — now, if I’m honest, they stir up all the feelings, leaving a heaviness in my heart and a pit in my stomach,” the brunette beauty, 46, confessed.
“I give myself 30 minutes to sit in the ‘why him, why us,’ to feel the anger and grief. Then I shake it off and return to what is. And what is… is unconditional love. I feel blessed to know it, and it’s because of him. I’d do it all over again and again in a heartbeat 💞,” she added.
Emma’s followers shared their support in the comments section during this tough time.
Bruce’s daughter Tallulah Willis — whom he shared with ex Demi Moore — penned, “I love you so much.”
'Anniversaries used to bring excitement — now, if I’m honest, they stir up all the feelings,' Emma Heming Willis told her social media followers.
One fan stated, “Simply beautiful, and thank you for sharing,” while a second echoed, “The most beautiful example of love and class and dedication!”
The heartbreaking post comes about two years after the Pulp Fiction alum’s family announced his dementia diagnosis. Ever since, Emma has been vocal on social media about the difficulties his illness brings.
- Bruce Willis' Dementia Battle: Wife Emma Admits 'It's 'Hard to Know' If Actor Is Aware of His Condition
- Emma Heming 'Struggles With Guilt' as Bruce Willis' Dementia Battle Continues
- Bruce Willis' Youngest Daughters 'Know Daddy's Not Going to Get Better' After Dementia Diagnosis, His Wife Emma Heming Reveals
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In an October interview, the former model explained how she’s been straightforward with her young kids about their father’s condition.
"This disease is misdiagnosed, it’s missed, it’s misunderstood, so finally getting to a diagnosis was key so that I could learn what frontotemporal dementia is and I could educate our children," she told Town & Country.
Emma Heming Willis, 46, and Bruce Willis, 69, share two daughters.
"I’ve never tried to sugarcoat anything for them," Emma continued. "They’ve grown up with Bruce declining over the years. I’m not trying to shield them from it."
The philanthropist noted "it's hard" to know when "Bruce ended" and the "disease started to take over.” "We had a loose diagnosis of aphasia, which is a symptom of a disease but is not the disease," she explained.
Emma shared that she uses professional help to navigate hard conversations about Bruce’s illness with her kiddos.
"What I learned from our therapist was that if children ask questions, they’re ready to know the answer. If we could see that Bruce was struggling, I would address it with the kids so they could understand, but this disease is chronic, progressive, and terminal. There is no cure," she said. "Obviously, I don’t like to speak about the terminal side of this with them, nor have they asked. They know that Daddy’s not going to get better."
Emma Heming Willis has been vocal about taking care of Bruce Willis following his frontotemporal dementia diagnosis in 2023.
Though there is sadly no hope for Bruce’s recovery, Emma has dedicated herself to raising awareness.
"I’m not going to allow FTD to take our whole family down," she stated. "Bruce wouldn’t want that. They’re going to see me fight for our family, have some hope, and help the next family out there."
