Emma Heming Willis, the wife of Hollywood icon Bruce Willis, has penned a deeply personal and moving account of how her family's experience of the holiday season has been reshaped by her husband's ongoing health struggles.
A Season of Change and Reflection
The 47-year-old former model and entrepreneur explained that her interpretation of Christmas and New Year has shifted fundamentally during Willis's years-long battle with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia. In an essay titled 'The Holidays Look Different Now' on her website, she delved into the emotional landscape she navigates as a caregiver.
'The holidays have a way of holding up a mirror, reflecting who we’ve been, who we are, and what we imagined they would be,' Heming Willis wrote. She shares two daughters, Mabel Ray, 13, and Evelyn, 11, with the 70-year-old Die Hard star.
She stated that caring for a loved one with dementia makes this reflection feel particularly sharp. Traditions that were once simple now demand extensive planning, and moments of joy can arrive intertwined with complex feelings of loss.
Navigating Grief and Finding Hope
Heming Willis, who founded the skincare brand CocoBaba and the wellness initiative Make Time Wellness, emphasised that grief is not reserved solely for death. 'It belongs to change and the ambiguous loss caregivers know so well,' she expressed.
This grief, she noted, stems from the realisation that long-held family routines and conversations have altered irrevocably. Despite this, she remains hopeful. 'There can still be warmth. There can still be joy. I’ve learned that the holidays don’t disappear when dementia enters your life. They change.'
She fondly recalled how Bruce, whom she married in March 2009, was once the heart of their festive celebrations. 'He loved this time of year—the energy, family time, the traditions. He was the pancake-maker, the get-out-in-the-snow-with-the-kids guy.'
The Ache of Memory and the Present
As a self-described 'creature of habit,' Heming Willis admitted she found comfort in predictable holiday routines—a comfort that has been erased by her husband's condition. 'Dementia doesn’t erase those memories,' she clarified. 'But it does create space between then and now. And that space can ache.'
She explained that grief during this period can surface unexpectedly, triggered by mundane acts like unpacking decorations or hearing a familiar carol. It can strike in a crowded room or in the solitary quiet after everyone else has gone to bed.
The public journey with Willis's health began nearly four years ago. In a joint statement released on 30 March 2022 via Instagram, Heming Willis, her daughters, Willis's ex-wife Demi Moore, 61, and his three adult daughters—Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31—announced his retirement from acting following an aphasia diagnosis.
The statement revealed the condition was impacting his cognitive abilities and confirmed the family was 'moving through this as a strong family unit.' They vowed to honour Bruce's mantra to 'Live it up,' a promise Heming Willis continues to uphold amidst profound change.
