Emma Heming Willis has recalled the moment that her husband, Bruce Willis, was given his dementia diagnosis.
In February 2023, just one year after he retired from acting, it was announced that Die Hard star Bruce had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
Emma is now Bruce’s caregiver, surrounded by the love and support of their two daughters - Mabel (13) and Evelyn (11) - as well as Bruce’s three older children - Rumer (36), Scout (33) and Tallulah (31) - whom he shares with his ex-wife, Demi Moore.
Now, in a recent speech given at the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement Forum in Las Vegas, Emma reflected on her family’s journey with dementia.
“On the day Bruce got his diagnosis, we left the doctor's office with a pamphlet and a hollow goodbye. No plan, no guidance, no hope, just shock,” the 46-year-old stated to the audience.
“The future we imagined simply vanished, and I was left trying to hold my family together, raise our two young daughters, and care for the man I love while navigating a disease I barely understood,” Emma admitted.
“I felt lost, isolated and scared. What I needed in that moment at that appointment wasn't just medical information. I needed someone to look me in the eye and say, ‘This feels impossible right now, but you will find your footing. You will survive this and you will grow because of it,’” she continued.
Emma, who is releasing a book titled The Unexpected Journey in September about her experience, described it as her “roadmap” for other families.
“I wrote it for other caregivers who are desperate for answers, aching for support, and wanting to be seen and wondering how they're going to make it through,” she detailed.
“I've had access to world-class experts because of who Bruce is, and I know that's a privilege, so I didn't want to keep that information to myself… I have a megaphone and resources that others don’t,” Emma concluded, adding: “We should be talking about this so much more."
