What We Know About Bruce Willis’ Dementia Battle
By Movieguide® Contributor
Bruce Willis’ battle with frontotemporal dementia continues, and his ex-wife Demi Moore recently shared an update on his status on THE DREW BARRYMORE SHOW.
“When we did CHARLIE’S ANGELS, Bruce came and played on it, and he opens up the film. And we got to work with him,” Barrymore recalled of her friendship with Willis.
“I mean, I used to know him when he was a bartender at Cafe Central!” she added. “I’ve known him my whole life, too. How is he right now?”
“Given the givens, he’s in a stable place,” Moore said.
When asked about what it’s like for the kids to see their father struggle, Moore said she tells them one thing.
“What I say to my kids is you meet them where they’re at. You don’t hold on to who they were or what you want them to be, but who they are in this moment,” she explained. “And from that, there is such beauty and joy and loving and sweetness.”
“When I’m in LA, I go over every week, and I really treasure the time that we all share,” she added.
Per Fox News Digital, “The GHOST star and Willis, 69, who were married from 1987 to 2000, share daughters Rumer, 36, Scout, 33, and Talullah, 30. Since their divorce, the former couple have remained close. Moore attended Willis’ 2009 wedding when he married his second wife, Emma Heming Willis, with whom he shares daughters Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 10.”
Movieguide® reported, “In 2022, Willis’ family shared that he had been diagnosed with aphasia. The following year, they announced that his diagnosis had been changed to frontotemporal dementia.”
Since his diagnosis, Emma Heming Willis, Bruce Willis’ current wife, has dedicated a lot of her social media posts to raising frontotemporal dementia (FTD) awareness.
She posted a video at the end of June that chronicled two men who were also raising awareness for FTD by cycling across America.
“A huge shout to @spencer_cline22 and his future brother-in-law Paul, who are cycling their way across America,” Heming Willis wrote. “They aren’t even pro cyclists! This is just wild! But that’s the effect FTD leaves on us. It makes us passionate and motivated to work for change and to just be seen. Lemme tell you something, we see you Spencer and Paul! I can also see you guys are getting media coverage out there too! I can imagine what Bruce would say, ‘I hope they remember to hydrate.’ I second that. Stay strong and safe out there! I’m so proud of you guys.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Heming Willis’ advocacy for FTD through her new book:
“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 explained. “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.”
“For me knowledge is power, and building a supportive community around me has been vital,” Heming Willis said in a statement about the book. “It has brought stability and a certain amount of control back, control that was completely shattered when the diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia first came into our family’s world.”
“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.”
