NEWSRumer Willis Gives Bittersweet Update on Dementia-Stricken Dad Bruce Willis' Health Decline: 'It Will Never Be the Same'
Rumer Willis discussed her dad Bruce Willis' dementia diagnosis during a podcast appearance.
May 22 2026, Published 7:04 a.m. ET
Rumer Willis gave an update on dad Bruce Willis amid his dementia diagnosis, revealing a surprising upside.
“He’s OK in the context of what his reality is,” she shared on "The Inside Edit Podcast with Maeve Reilly" on Monday, May 18. “It’s not the same, it will never be the same as it was of having a dad, or how it is with my mother. But I love getting to go over and see him. I’m so grateful that I have a child that got to meet him, because I don’t know if my sisters will have that. Who knows?”
Rumer Willis Has Been 'Grateful'
Rumer Willis said she feels 'so grateful' her daughter got to meet dad Bruce Willis.
She continued, “I’m just so grateful for all the things that I do get. I get to go see him. I have other friends whose parents have passed and even though our time together is different now, I’m so grateful that I still have this time.”
There has been a surprising upside to his diagnosis, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), which he learned about in 2023.
“And there’s a sweetness," Rumer, 37, said. "He’s always kind of been this macho dude, and now – fragile’s not the right word – but just like a tenderness that maybe being Bruce Willis might not have allowed him in a certain way.”
The Diagnosis Brought Her Family Closer
Bruce Willis is surrounded by wife Emma Heming, daughters Evelyn, Tallulah, Scout and Mabel; ex-wife Demi Moore; and daughter Rumer Willis.
Rumer is proud of the bond her family has developed. In addition to her daughter, Louetta, 3, whose father is ex Derek Richard Thomas, her family includes dad Bruce, 71, mom Demi Moore, 63, sisters Scout, 34, and Talullah, 32, plus Bruce's wife Emma Heming, 47, and their daughters Mabel, 14, and Evelyn, 12.
“I’m so grateful for how our family has rallied together in this way,” she told the podcast. “We don’t do it perfectly, but we’re always striving to continue to create connection and find ways to be with each other and support each other through something that is kind of unprecedented.”
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Rumer Willis Was Surprised Dementia Is Common
Rumer Willis praised the way her family has handled Bruce Willis' health battle.
She has found strength in hearing from others who have endured the same diagnosis for their loved ones.
“What’s wild to me is so many people come up to me now and say ‘my uncle had FTD, my dad has this,’” she said. “I had no idea how prevalent it was. It’s crazy.”
Rumer Willis noticed 'a sweetness' and 'a tenderness' to dad Bruce Willis since his dementia diagnosis.
Her father’s diagnosis is a reminder to stay on top of her own health.
“It freaks me out, I did a test recently because I just wanted to check – I’m like that – I’m obsessive about my health, my hormones, my fertility, my brain health, and I’m OK I think,” she said.
Rumer is making changes to prevent lifestyle-related health issues.
“I try to be really conscious of what I eat, what products I use on my face, sunscreen," she explained. "I dye my hair - obviously I’m not a natural blonde. I pick and choose, but I do very well. I’ve gotten rid of a lot of polyester in my closet. It has been very challenging.”
