Emma Heming Willis on Bruce Willis's FTD A Love That Finds a New Language

The life of Emma Heming Willis has significantly transformed, embracing the dual roles of devoted wife and dedicated caregiver to her husband, Bruce Willis, amidst his struggle with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). A pivotal aspect of this evolution involves their altered communication dynamic.

“Bruce and I have cultivated a unique language, a distinct method of connection,” Heming Willis shared with The Sunday Times in an interview released on Saturday, September 13. “It revolves around simply being present with him, accompanying him on walks, and actively listening as he endeavors to express himself in his own specific manner. It’s about truly hearing him, affirming his presence. You understand.”

The 47-year-old Heming Willis paused, visibly moved to tears, as reported by the publication. “I apologize,” she softly interjected, before proceeding to characterize FTD as “a cruel affliction.”

She further elaborated, “It relentlessly diminishes. Just when you believe it can’t possibly claim anything further, it seizes a bit more.”

Emma Heming Willis Expressed Apprehension About Disclosing Details Regarding Bruce's Dementia Diagnosis

Frontotemporal dementia is a neurological condition that compromises the brain’s frontal and temporal lobes, leading to challenges with speech, emotional regulation, and shifts in temperament. Heming Willis conveyed, “I believe Bruce’s condition has afforded him one particular mercy: the inability to comprehend what FTD entails.”

Heming Willis is sharing intimate details about her husband’s health struggle and the family’s adjustment to their altered reality in her newly released book, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, which debuted on Tuesday, September 9.

She revealed to The Times that her husband’s diagnosis wasn’t triggered by a singular event, but rather a progressive alteration in his demeanor.

“He simply wasn’t Bruce,” she articulated, reflecting on the period preceding their discovery of his battle with FTD. “He was no longer the man I wed. It felt akin to waking up beside a different individual.”

The 70-year-old Willis currently resides in an adjacent dwelling, distinct from the home he previously shared with his wife and their daughters, Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11. Heming Willis described this transition as “among the most challenging choices I’ve ever faced,” yet affirmed to The Times its necessity for both Willis and their children — enabling the girls to retain their childhood and affording her the opportunity to “reclaim her role as his wife. And that is an immeasurable blessing.”

Regarding his separate living arrangements, she elaborated: “It has profoundly impacted the ability for more friends and relatives to engage with him independently, without the constraints of my home, my constant presence, or my apprehension about managing visitors and their expectations, and then witnessing their emotional responses — their sorrow at the current reality.”

Bruce Willis' Wife Describes Dementia Diagnosis as Both a 'Blessing' and a 'Curse'

Additionally, Willis is a father to three daughters from his previous marriage to Demi Moore — Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31.

The 62-year-old Moore, alongside her daughters, has demonstrated steadfast support for Heming Willis’ advocacy for FTD research and her unwavering commitment to caring for Willis.

“I frequently lean on my stepdaughters and Demi, as they are truly assisting me in navigating this journey,” Heming Willis shared with The Times, further commenting on her expansive family unit, “Demi and Bruce established a foundation that enables us to flourish in this manner, to mutually support one another.”

Heming Willis stated that she continues to experience “moments of profound connection” with Willis, yet confessed she “remains in disbelief that Bruce is afflicted with this illness.”

She concluded by reflecting, “Do I believe he registers, ‘Ah, this is Emma, and we’ve been wed for all these years’? I cannot discern the internal process for him. Yet, when he embraces me, it undeniably feels like Bruce. In that aspect, nothing has changed. And that sensation is simultaneously immensely beautiful and profoundly heartbreaking. It represents such a profound deprivation.”