Bruce Willis’ Wife Talks ‘Wrong’ About Diagnosis

Bruce Willismy wife, Emma Heming Willissheds light on her husband’s diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia.

“It’s called frontotemporal dementia or FTD for short, it affects the frontal lobes and the temporal lobes. This is a management decision, your daily functioning, language [and] pressure. That’s in your temporal lobe. What’s different, because there are three different variants of FTD, the one that Bruce has affects the language,” Heming, 47, explained on the Monday, June 15 episode of the “Bosstics” podcast. “But there are other variables that will affect behavior and others that can affect movement. So here are three different types of FTD.”

When asked if Willis’ diagnosis affected his memory, Heming replied, “No, not at all.”

“That’s a different part of the brain,” he continued. So when people say, ‘Oh, do you remember who you are?’ Well, he does because he doesn’t have Alzheimer’s, he has FTD. I think that’s a common misconception that, when you think of dementia, we think of memory loss.”

Willis’ family shared in March 2022 that he had been diagnosed with aphasia. It was later shared that he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.

Heming, who has two children with Willis, explained that she felt like she was dealing with a “mysterious loss” while being her husband’s carer. (Heming and Willis, who tied the knot in 2009, welcomed daughters Mabel and Evelyn in 2012 and 2014, respectively. Willis is also father to daughters Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 32, with his ex-wife. Demi Moore.)

“It’s sad for a living person,” he said. “And that’s what many people who are caregivers of someone with dementia face, because your person is there physically but maybe not mentally or emotionally.”

Heming explained that all forms of dementia “take and take, sometimes very slowly and you feel a different loss every time.”

“You’re always sad. I just learned how to deal with it,” she said. “Maybe I’m a little more used to it now than I used to be. But yeah, you just sit with it and walk around it.”

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Following Willis’ diagnosis, Heming announced that she had launched the Emma & Bruce Willis Fund for Dementia Research and Caregiving Support. The fund is “dedicated to advancing the understanding of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) by raising awareness, supporting promising scientific research and strengthening support for caregivers,” People reported in March.

“This trip has opened my eyes to the realities that many families face when a loved one is living with frontotemporal dementia,” Heming said when accepting the award at The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration’s Hope Rising Benefit at the time. “I strongly believe in the importance of supporting research while also showing the caregivers who carry so many things every day.”

He continued, “Through this fund, my hope is to help deepen the understanding of FTD and ensure that families who are dealing with it feel recognized, supported and not alone.” Bruce has always led with charity and heart, and I know he would be proud to see this effort help families dealing with this disease.”