Bruce Willis has been moved into a separate home, according to his wife Emma Heming Willis, amid his two-year battle with dementia.
Heming, 47, expressed that it was “one of the hardest decisions” she’s had to make during her time as a caregiver for Willis, whom she’s been married to since 2009. She explained that this choice wasn’t just for Willis, 70, but also for their two children—Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11.
“Bruce would want that for our daughters,” she said. “He would want them to be in a home that was more tailored to their needs, not his needs.”
But the former model said she still brings their children over to Willis’ home, which is close to their own house, “a lot” for breakfast and dinner. The Die Hard actor now lives with a full-time team of caregivers at his new one-story home.
Bruce Willis and Emma Heming Willis wearing dress by Bottega Veneta attend Motherless Brooklyn premiere during 57th New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall. Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
Willis stepped away from acting in March 2022 following an aphasia diagnosis, which was announced by ex-wife Demi Moore, with whom he shares three children: Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31.
Almost a year later, Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in Feb. 2023, which is an aggressive form of the disease found often in younger people, with it most commonly being diagnosed in people in their 50s to 60s, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Symptoms include issues with language and personality changes, such as a lack of empathy. “Suddenly, the person that you’re living with has no empathy or concern for you or your family,” said Dr. Bruce Miller, a professor of neurology at UCSF and a leading expert on the condition, in an interview with ABC News.
Early signs for Willis included reacquiring a stutter from his childhood and becoming more reserved, which was uncharacteristic for the outgoing action star.
“For someone who was very talkative and very engaged, he was just a little more quiet and when the family would get together, he would kind of just melt a little bit,” Heming said.
Another common symptom is issues with mobility, which Heming clarified Willis doesn’t have. “Bruce is still very mobile. Bruce is in really great health overall, it’s just his brain that is failing him,” she said.
These revelations come as Heming promotes a memoir detailing her journey caring for Willis: The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, which has a Sept. 9 release date.
