Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and moreStay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Bruce Willis isn’t aware that he has dementia, according to his wife, Emma Heming Willis. The 70-year-old Die Hard actor’s family announced in 2023 that he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), only a year after they said he was “stepping away” from acting because he had aphasia. Since announcing her husband’s diagnosis, Heming Willis has been open about his physical health and how it’s affected their family, including their two daughters, Mabel Ray, 13, and Evelyn Penn, 11. The former model, who has been married to Willis since 2009 and is his primary caregiver, gave an update on his condition to NewsNation Wednesday, noting that he’s “doing OK, with a really unkind disease.” She was also asked about her new memoir — The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path — in which she wrote that it’s actually a blessing that Willis doesn’t know he has FTD. open image in galleryEmma Heming Willis says Bruce Willis doesn’t realize he’s ‘experiencing a decline’ in his healt (Getty Images)“You said, if Bruce had said, ‘Emma, I think something’s wrong with me. I’m scared,’ that would have been really distressing for you,” news anchor Elizabeth Vargas recalled. Heming Willis responded: “The person doesn’t realize that they are experiencing a decline in their health. So it’s not denial; this is just a part of the disease. So, it’s a blessing and a curse. But I am grateful that Bruce never tapped into the idea that he had FTD.” She also hit back at the misconception that Willis doesn’t recognize his wife and children because of dementia. “FTD isn’t Alzheimer’s,” she said, noting that Willis’ condition affects how he communicates and behaves. “Bruce doesn’t have Alzheimer’s. So he does know who we are.” Some symptoms of FTD, for which there’s currently no cure, include slow or stiff movements, difficulty with speech, changes in personality, and muscle weakness. Heming Willis acknowledged that while her husband struggles to verbalize his love for his family, that’s not a necessity for them. “We don’t need words,” she added. “We have a very deep connection, and we have learned to sort of meet him where he’s at. And just be supportive and be able to love him.” As the family continues to navigate Willis’ condition, Heming Willis previously shared that her young daughters are doing well, though they grieve their father.open image in galleryEmma Heming Willis moved Bruce to a separate one-story home amid his dementia diagnosis (Getty Images for Film at Lincoln)“They miss their dad so much,” she told Vogue Australia about her two kids earlier this month. “He’s missing important milestones, that’s tough for them.”She said that while their kids are resilient, she doesn’t know if they will ever bounce back, but added: “They’re learning and so am I.”Meanwhile, the 47-year-old faced backlash last month after revealing that her husband wasn’t living with his family. Instead, he’s living in a one-story home, near the family’s house, with a full-time care team. However, she later defended her decision to put her husband in another home, explaining why it made sense for him and their kids. With her husband requiring “a calm and serene atmosphere,” Heming Willis said she decided to move Willis to a home that is more conducive to his needs.“Dementia plays out differently in everyone’s home and you have to do what’s right for your family dynamic and what’s right for your person,” she told People in September. “It’s heartbreaking to me. But this is how we were able to support our whole family, [and] it has opened up Bruce’s world.”
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Bruce Willis’ wife Emma Heming says the actor doesn’t know he has dementia
