Emma Heming Willis sent an emotional message to her husband Bruce Willis, three years after the Hollywood actor's family announced his diagnosis with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
On the occasion of Frontotemporal Dementia Awareness Week, Emma Heming Willis, 50, posted a rare photo of the 71-year-old actor and talked about how his diagnosis has become a major driving force behind her work to support patients and their loved ones.
„I can't get through FTD Awareness Week without talking about Bruce. He is the driving force behind my cause,” she wrote.
Emma Hemming Willis said she would not let her husband’s diagnosis be in vain and hopes the publicity surrounding his condition will help other families facing frontotemporal dementia and other forms of dementia.
“I know how proud he would be if he knew he was helping families living with FTD, other forms of dementia and their caregivers be seen and heard,“ she added.
The message concluded with words about the “Die Hard“ star's legacy.
“In this next chapter of his life, Bruce continues to build on his legacy. He is and always will be a true legend. I am so proud to be his wife“, wrote Emma Heming Willis.
Among those who responded to the post was Scout Willis, one of the three daughters of Bruce Willis and actress Demi Moore. “I am so proud of you. I love you so much, Emma“, she wrote.
The family of actor Bruce Willis announced in March 2022 that he was ending his acting career after being diagnosed with aphasia, which affects the ability to communicate.
In February 2023, his relatives announced the more specific diagnosis - frontotemporal dementia. This is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain and can lead to changes in speech, behavior, personality and motor skills.
Emma Heming Willis specifies that in her husband's case, the disease mainly affects language and communication skills. She has also repeatedly drawn attention to the misconception that all dementia necessarily begins with memory loss.
“When people ask: “Do you remember who you are?“, he remembers because he does not have Alzheimer's. He has FTD“, she explained in an interview.
Bruce Willis and Emma Heming Willis have been married since 2009 and have two daughters - Mabel and Evelyn. The actor has three more daughters from his marriage to actress Demi Moore – Rumer Willis, Scout Willis and Tallulah Willis.
After the diagnosis, the family maintained a close relationship and repeatedly demonstrated their support for the actor. Emma Heming Willis also spoke openly about the emotional burden on people caring for a loved one with dementia.
She describes the experience as a form of ongoing grief, in which the loved one continues to be physically present, but the disease gradually changes various aspects of their personality and communication.
In recent years, Emma Heming Willis has turned her personal experience into active work to raise awareness of frontotemporal dementia and support people who care for patients.
In March, she created The Emma & Bruce Willis Fund, which aims to support early research into FTD, raise public awareness, and provide support to families and caregivers of patients.