Emma Heming Willis has spoken movingly about her husband Bruce Willis's ongoing battle with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), revealing that the actor has never fully understood his condition. The 70-year-old retired from acting in 2022 after being diagnosed with aphasia, with FTD confirmed a year later.
In a podcast interview, Emma explained that Bruce suffers from anosognosia, a neurological condition in which the brain cannot recognise its own decline. “It's not denial. It's just that their brain is changing,” she said, adding that she is grateful he has never connected the dots about his illness.
While the disease has mainly affected Bruce's communication rather than his behaviour, Emma stressed that he still recognises her and their daughters, Mabel and Evelyn. “He's still very much present in his body,” she said, noting that his way of connecting remains meaningful, albeit different.
In her 2025 book, The Unexpected Journey, Emma detailed the difficult decision to move Bruce into a specialised care home, partly to protect their young daughters from the disease's impact. She recalled a period of isolation, but affirmed that the choice was right: “Our children are thriving, and so is Bruce.”
Bruce is also father to Rumer, Scout and Tallulah from his marriage to Demi Moore. Emma has become an advocate for FTD research, sharing her family's experience to raise awareness of the condition.
