Tejal Somvanshi
Actor Bruce Willis is physically healthy but his “brain is failing him” and his “language is going,” according to his wife Emma Heming Willis in a recent ABC News interview. The 70-year-old “Die Hard” star continues to battle frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a rare form of dementia that primarily affects behavior, personality, and language.
“Bruce is still very mobile. Bruce is in really great health overall,” Emma told Diane Sawyer in the ABC special that aired August 26. “It’s just his brain that is failing him. The language is going.”
The Willis family first announced in 2022 that Bruce would retire from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, a condition affecting language and communication. In February 2023, they shared that his condition had progressed to frontotemporal dementia.
FTD differs from Alzheimer’s disease, which primarily affects memory. In FTD, the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain degenerate, impacting personality, behavior, and language abilities. It typically strikes people younger than those with other forms of dementia, often between ages 40 and 65.
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Despite the challenges, Emma described moments when Bruce’s personality still shines through. “Not days, but we get moments,” she said. “It’s his laugh. He has such a hearty laugh. And sometimes you’ll get that twinkle in his eye or that smirk, and I just get transported.”
The family has adapted their communication methods as Bruce’s language abilities decline. “We’ve learned to adapt and we have a way of communicating with him, which is just a different way,” Emma explained.
Emma has become an advocate for caregivers and recently wrote a book titled “The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path,” set for release on September 9. She hopes to raise awareness about FTD and support other families facing similar challenges.
“That is this whole motivation for me to raise awareness about this disease,” Emma said, “because we want families, we want people to be able to be diagnosed earlier, when they can participate in these trials.”
The ABC special “Emma & Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey” aired on Aug 26 and began streaming on Disney+ and Hulu on August 27, allowing viewers to learn more about the family’s experience and Emma’s advocacy work.
