Emma Heming has a heartbreaking update about Bruce Willis.
During the new ABC special Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey — A Diane Sawyer Special on Tuesday, the 47-year-old former model opened up about the actor’s battle with frontotemporal dementia. He was diagnosed with the progressive brain disorder back in 2023, which affects the frontal and temporal lobes — the areas that are associated with personality, behavior, and language, per the Mayo Clinic. For Emma, she started to notice the signs of Bruce’s cognitive health declining long before then:
“For someone who is very talkative and very engaged, he was just a little more quiet. And when the family would get together, he would kind of just melt a little bit. It felt a little removed, very cold, not like Bruce, who was very warm and affectionate. To go in the complete opposite of that was alarming and scary.”
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According to Emma, many FTD patients are often misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder, depression, or suffering from a midlife crisis. And it wasn’t until Bruce underwent a brain scan that the family finally received a diagnosis — he had “the black belt” of dementia, as Diane Sawyer said. Sadly, there is no cure. The doctors couldn’t do anything for the Pulp Fiction actor, other than to hand Emma a pamphlet of information and send them on their way. She recalled:
“To leave there with no … with nothing, just nothing, with a diagnosis I couldn’t pronounce. I didn’t understand what it was. I was so panicked. And I just remember hearing it and just not hearing anything else. It was like I was free falling.”
Oof.
Two years later, although Bruce is in great shape altogether when it comes to his health, Emma shared that his brain isn’t:
“Bruce is still very mobile. Bruce is in really great health overall. It’s just his brain that is failing him.”
Now she said Bruce’s “language is going.” The entire family has “learned to adapt.” However, as you can imagine, it’s still not easy. And with his disease progressing, Emma decided to have her husband live in a second home, believing it is what he would’ve wanted for their daughters, 13-year-old Mabel and 11-year-old Evelyn:
“It was one of the hardest decisions that I’ve had to make so far. But 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.”
According to Emma, the second home is a one-story place not far from the family’s house. Bruce lives there full-time with his care team. The CocoBaba founder said she and her two daughters spend “a lot” of time at the other home with Bruce, often enjoying breakfast and dinner together.
It’s so sad to hear. But we’re glad Bruce is getting all the love and care he needs during this difficult battle. Watch Emma’s interview (below):
[Image via Good Morning America/YouTube, Emma Heming/Instagram]
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