Emma Heming Willis Still Finds ‘Joy’ With Husband Bruce Willis
By Movieguide® Contributor
Emma Heming Willis is confronting clickbait claims that say her husband, Bruce Willis, has “no more joy,” as he continues to battle Frontotemporal dementia.
“The headline basically says there is no more joy in my husband. Now, I can just tell you, that is far from the truth,” Heming Willis said in an Instagram video. “I need society – and whoever’s writing these stupid headlines – to stop scaring people. Stop scaring people to think that once they get a diagnosis of some kind of neurocognitive disease that that’s it. ‘It’s over. Let’s pack it up. We’re — Nothing else to see here. We’re done.’ No.”
While dealing with her husband’s diagnosis is a difficult experience, she explained that it’s been filled with many good things.
“There is grief and sadness. There’s all of that. But you start a new chapter,” she said. “It’s filled with love, it’s filled with connection, it’s filled with joy, it’s filled with happiness.”
“That’s where we are. So stop with these stupid headlines. These stupid clickbaity things that freak people out. Stop doing that. There’s nothing to see here, okay?” she concluded.
Heming Willis spoke further about her experience with her husband.
“My experience is that two things can be true and exist at the same time. Grief and deep love. Sadness and deep connection. Trauma and resilience. I had to get out of my own way to get here but once I arrived, life really started to come together with meaning and I had a true sense of purpose. There is so much beauty and soulfulness in this story,” she wrote in the caption of the video.
Movieguide® previously reported on Willis’ diagnosis:
Bruce Willis’ family updated his fans on his health, sharing that his condition “has progressed” from aphasia, and the actor has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia…
Symptoms of FTD include unusual behaviors, emotional problems and difficulty communicating, working and walking.
“Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others, and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately,” Willis’ family’s statement continued.
Since his diagnosis, Heming Willis has used her platform to advocate for others caring for those living with dementia. Last month, she announced that she plans to publish a book for caregivers.
“I want this book to land in the hands of care partners, but especially new care partners, who have just received this life-changing news,” she said. “They should know they are not alone and there is support, even hope. In a perfect world, I envision this book in that doctor’s office, and he or she puts it in their hands to bring home.”
Despite the criticism she’s recieved in the past for taking on the role of Willis’ caregiver, Heming Willis remains committed to supporting her husband and others going through similar experiences.
“So I’m going to keep my head down and continue to focus on this path that I’m on, which is to raise awareness around FTD [Frontotemporal Dementia], to talk about the importance of brain health – because prevention is our only glimmer of hope for a cure right now – and how to best support our caregivers,” she said last year.
Movieguide® previously reported on Willis’ diagnosis:
Bruce Willis is now largely “incommunicative” as his frontotemporal dementia progresses, according to a friend.
“My sense is the first one to three minutes he knows who I am,” MOONLIGHTING creator Glenn Gordon Caron said of the actor. “He’s not totally verbal; he used to be a voracious reader—he didn’t want anyone to know that—and he’s not reading now. All those language skills are no longer available to him, and yet he’s still Bruce.”
Caron shared that he has “tried very hard to stay in [Willis’] life” and visits the actor on a monthly basis.
“He’s an extraordinary person,” he continued. “The thing that makes [his disease] so mind-blowing is [that] if you’ve ever spent time with Bruce Willis, there is no one who had any more joie de vivre than he. He loved life and…just adored waking up every morning and trying to live life to its fullest. So the idea that he now sees life through a screen door, if you will, makes very little sense. He’s really an amazing guy.”
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
