Bruce Willis’ wife speaks about her husband’s dementia: ‘It’s difficult’

More than six months after American actor Bruce Willis (68, “Pulp Fiction”, “Die Hard”) was diagnosed with dementia, his wife, Emma Heming-Willis, spoke about the star’s disease in a television interview.

“It’s hard for the person with the diagnosis, it’s also hard for the family,” Heming-Willis, 45, said Monday on the “Today” show on NBC. And: “If it is said to be a family disease, then it is,” says Heming-Willis. It was difficult to tell whether Willis was fully aware of his condition, the mother of two said in an emotional conversation.

Getting the diagnosis was both a blessing and a curse, Heming-Willis said. Specifically, she said that on the one hand, it was helpful to “somehow finally understand” what happened. On the other hand, her husband’s eventual diagnosis doesn’t make things any less painful. But now she would better understand what happened to Willis and be able to accept the disease, the 45-year-old said.

In March 2022, the family announced that Willis suffered from aphasia and ended his film career due to illness. Aphasias are language disorders, such as speaking, understanding, writing or reading, that can occur as a result of various diseases. Last February, family members announced that the actor had received a more accurate diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

The disease initially destroys nerve cells in the forehead and temporal areas of the brain (fronto-temporal lobe). According to the German Alzheimer’s Association, this is initially noticeable in many patients because they appear lethargic and irritable. Memory impairment occurs later.

Heming-Willis said she spoke openly about the disease with her 11- and 9-year-old daughters. Bruce is “a gift that gives them love, patience and resilience.” She has made it her job to provide information about this form of dementia and its consequences.

The British native and Willis have been married since 2009. Willis has three adult daughters from his first marriage to actress Demi Moore (60). (sda/dpa)