Emma Heming is clapping back at the backlash she received after opening up about Bruce Willis’ battle with frontotemporal dementia.
This week, in a new interview with Diane Sawyer for the ABC News special Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey, the former model revealed her husband is living in a separate home from the family. Emma expressed that it was “one of the hardest decisions” she has had to make since becoming a caregiver for the 70-year-old actor a few years ago. However, it was the right move not only for Bruce but for their two daughters — 13-year-old Mabel and 11-year-old Evelyn.
Emma learned that with frontotemporal dementia, noise could aggravate the Die Hard star’s condition, so she started to isolate their family. That meant she stopped hosting playdates and sleepovers for the girls, thinking that parents may not “feel comfortable leaving their kid at our home.” Isolating “was a hard time,” though. Ultimately, she had to make the difficult decision to move Bruce into a one-story home nearby with a care team to ensure his safety. Not only that, Emma believes it is what he would want for their two daughters:
“I knew, first and foremost, Bruce would want that for our daughters. You know, he would want them to be in a home that was more tailored to their needs, not his needs.”
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Although Bruce doesn’t live with the family, they still see him. Emma shared that she brings their kids over to The Sixth Sense alum’s home “a lot” for breakfast and dinner. If you haven’t seen the interview yet, watch (below):
At the end of the day, the 47-year-old mom had to do what was best for Bruce and their girls. However, some people disagree with how she’s handling his care and voiced those harsh opinions online. Emma saw the negative comments, and she now has a response for the critics.
The CocoBaba founder posted a video to Instagram on Friday, saying she gave her interview with Diane “a few days to sort of land and breathe” before she addressed the public’s reaction. She made it clear that ABC News “did a beautiful job with amplifying FTD awareness, as well as shining a spotlight onto caregivers.” However, Emma had a feeling not everyone would understand her reasons for living apart from Bruce right now:
“What I knew is that by sharing some of our intimate information that we would see these two camps. It would be people with an opinion versus people with an actual experience.”
The Make Time Wellness founder knows “people with an opinion [are quick to judge] the caregiver” in situations like hers and Bruce’s, adding:
“That is what caregivers are up against. Judgement from others and criticism from others.”
While quoting from her upcoming book, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, Emma pointed out:
“Nothing changes an opinion quite as powerfully as when you have an experience. Even if someone is closely familiar with dementia or the condition you are caring for, they aren’t in your home, so they don’t know how your person is behaving or your family dynamics. The truth is that the opinions are so loud and they’re so noisy. But if they don’t have the experience of this, they don’t get a say, and they definitely don’t get a vote.”
Well said, Emma. She went on to note in the caption that caregivers are often “judged quickly and unfairly” by those who’ve never experienced their situation before:
“Too often, caregivers are judged quickly and unfairly by those who haven’t lived this journey or stood on the front lines of it. Sharing openly may invite opinions, but more importantly, it creates connection and validation for those actually navigating the realities of caregiving every day. That’s who I share for and so I can build a deeper connection with a community that understands this journey.”
Only Emma and her family know what is best for Bruce during this tough situation. No one else. It is hard enough to watch a loved one go through dementia or any other debilitating illness, so the last thing she needs is the hurtful opinions and judgment from the public. Everyone should have more compassion and empathy for Emma and the Willis family instead. See the post (below):
[Image via Emma Heming/Instagram]
The post Bruce Willis’ Wife Emma Heming Hits Back Against Critics Amid His Dementia Battle: ‘Too Often Caregivers Are Judged Quickly & Unfairly’ appeared first on Perez Hilton.