Emma Heming Willis Spotlights Caregivers After Gene Hackman, Wife’s Deaths
By Movieguide® Contributor
Investigators have determined what caused the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy, and in light of that, Bruce Willis’ wife Emma Heming Willis highlighted the difficulty of being a caregiver and the fact that caregivers need care too.
“This is not something I would normally comment on, but I do really believe that there is some learning in this story, in regards to this tragic passing of Mr. and Mrs. Hackman,” Heming Willis said in a video she posted on Instagram. “It’s just made me think of this broader story, and that is that caregivers need care too and that they are vital.”
“It is so important that we show up for them so that they can continue to show up for their person,” she continued. “I think that there’s this common misconception that, like, caregivers, they [have] got it figured out, they have got it covered. They’re good. I don’t subscribe to that. I think we need to be showing up for them so that they can continue to show up for their person.”
Gene and Betsy were found dead in their home on Feb. 26 during a wellness check. While Gene was 95 and faced a declining mental state due to Alzheimer’s, Betsy was only 65 and in good health. After a lengthy investigation, the police determined that Betsy passed away around Feb. 11 from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and Gene died roughly a week later from heart problems. Because of his mental state, it is likely Gene did not even realize his wife had died even though he lived in the house with her body for multiple days.
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Heming Willis believes this tragedy highlights how caretakers face problems too and sometimes need a helping hand with their own struggles in order to stay on track. She has been a caregiver for her husband since 2022 when Bruce was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. Since assuming the role, she has been outspoken about the difficulties of being a caretaker and honors others who take on the same role.
In her quest to publicize the life of a caregiver and offer others support, she plans on releasing a book this year to help those assuming the role through the difficult process.
“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,” Heming Willis explained last year. “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.”
“Identifying the right resources to educate and enlighten myself has been powerful and has allowed me the space to continue to move forward in the most positive way so that I can be the best mother, wife, daughter, friend and care partner,” she added. “I want to be able to share that with the next person who finds themselves here.”
READ MORE: BRUCE WILLIS’ WIFE RESPONDS TO CRITICISM OVER CAREGIVING ROLE
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