﻿Just as Bruce Willis and his family were coming to terms with his diagnosis with aphasia,
they were hit with more difficult news. The sixty-eight-year-old actor was recently diagnosed
with dementia. Since then, his wife, Emma Heming has admitted how she treasures every moment she
has with her husband and makes every second count. Although this time is unimaginably painful for
his loved ones, their unwavering support for one another has been nothing short of inspirational.
In February 2023, Bruce Willis' family announced that the veteran actor was diagnosed with
frontotemporal dementia. In a statement on social media, they shared that it was
a "relief to finally have a clear diagnosis." Just the year before, Bruce had been diagnosed
with aphasia - a language disorder that causes difficulties in a person's
cognitive and communicative abilities. As a result, Willis retired from his acting
career at just sixty-seven years old. Following his latest diagnosis of dementia,
his family explained in their statement that there was currently no treatment for
the disease. They added, "a reality that we hope can change in the years ahead."
Along with expressing their "deepest gratitude for the incredible outpouring of love," Bruce's
family hoped that the media attention would raise awareness of the actor's condition.
They said, "We know in our hearts that - if he could today - he would want to
respond by bringing global attention and a connectedness with those who are also
dealing with this debilitating disease and how it impacts so many individuals and their families."
The statement was signed by members of Willis's family, including his wife Emma Heming - with
whom he has two daughters - and his former wife Demi Moore and their three daughters.
One month later, Emma shared an emotional message on Bruce's sixty-eighth birthday.
In a video on Instagram, she said she "started the morning by crying"
as she woke up to celebrate her husband's special day.
Heming added that while she wishes she was given a choice in hand, she and Willis were dealt. The
decline in Willis' health took a toll on their entire family, and it was painful for all of them
to watch him deteriorate. However, rather than let the difficult situation become overwhelming,
she chooses to be strong for their daughters, eleven-year-old Mabel and
nine-year-old Evelyn. Emma said, "Today
is one of those days of feeling the grief and sadness. But the silver lining or the flip side is
that I'm so lucky to feel your warmth and love that is directed to my husband and our family."
The actor's wife then shared a reel celebrating her husband on his special
day. The clip shows various moments between the married couple and their two daughters.
She captioned the clip, "He is pure love. He is so loved. And I'll be loving him
always. Happy Birthday my sweet." Emma shared that her birthday wish
for Bruce was that his fans continue to keep him in their prayers and "vibrations because
his sensitive Pisces soul will feel it." Willis's ex-wife, Demi, was also there to
celebrate his birthday and shared a video of their whole family serenading him.
The clip featured the actor smiling, dancing, and blowing out the candles on his cake.
Moore captioned, "So glad we could celebrate you today."
March also marked Bruce and Emma's fourteenth wedding anniversary. The celebration of all
their years together felt bittersweet for Heming. She expressed that she was going to hold on to
her most precious moments and "beautiful pockets of memories" with her husband "for a lifetime."
She added, "And we get to keep those memories safe and alive
for the ones that might not be able to." Back in 2019, the couple celebrated a decade of
marriage by renewing their vows in front of their family and friends. Bruce's ex-wife Demi filmed
the special occasion while two of their daughters, Rumer and Scout, sang at the ceremony.
Emma admitted that she was "so happy" that she and Bruce did something special to mark their ten
years together. She said, "Seize every opportunity to unite and celebrate with family and friends."
Throughout Bruce's struggle with aphasia and dementia, his blended family has been a united
front. It's been incredibly uplifting to see how Demi, Emma, and their children have been
able to lean on one another for support during this difficult time. Most importantly, they have
been there for Willis every step of the way. Bruce and Demi were married for thirteen years
and welcomed three daughters, Rumer, Tallulah, and Scout, during their time together.
They divorced in 2000, and their split couldn't have been more amicable.
When Willis was asked about their divorce later that year, he explained that he and
Moore shared a "lifelong commitment" to their kids. "I still love Demi. We have three children
whom we will continue to raise together, and we're probably as close now as we ever were."
The pair remained a tightly knit family, even after their split.
They were determined to stay united and put their kids first, and because of this, Bruce and Demi
held no resentment towards one another. Moore admitted that it "wasn't easy at
first," adding, "But we managed to move the heart of our relationship,
the heart of what created our family, into something new that gave the girls a loving,
supportive environment with both parents." It wasn't until 2007 that Bruce met Victoria's
Secret supermodel Emma Heming. The couple met at the gym, and Emma admitted that she
was "surprised at how charming and how funny he was – and extremely handsome."
As for Willis, he confessed that he was "already in love with her" from the moment they met.
Soon, the pair fell madly in love - something that Bruce didn't expect.
"When you think about where you are going to find that big love of your life, you seldom
think it's someone you already know. You think it's someone you've yet to meet." he said.
In 2009, the couple officially became husband and wife. Three years later, their daughter,
Mabel, was born, followed by Evelyn in 2014. While they were Emma's first two children,
they were Bruce's fourth and fifth daughters. It was important for the actor to maintain a
close relationship with all of his children and for them to all get along with one
another. Their blended-family gatherings were always a great source of entertainment, and
Bruce quickly got used to being the only man when he was surrounded by all the women in his life.
His eldest daughter, Rumer, shared how her dad playfully encouraged her to have kids. "He was
like, 'So I'd like for you to have a son because I need some male energy in this group.'" She said,
adding that with all the women in their family, "there's just a lot of female energy."
Over the years, their bond as a family only grew stronger, and Emma even developed a close
friendship with Demi. The actress described Heming as "a beautiful mother dedicated to her family,
an absolutely gorgeous woman," adding, "I see her as a family who I am honored to call
a friend … We are mothers united, sisters bonded on this crazy adventure of life."
They attend family vacations and celebrate birthdays as a great big blended family.
Taking it one step further, during the international pandemic, they
even quarantined together too. What may have seemed like a nightmare for many families was
only an opportunity for Bruce, Emma, Demi, and their kids to get some quality time together.
Heming explained that the months they shared under the same roof helped her "learn so
much," and she grew from seeing her husband and ex-wife get along for the sake of their kids.
She spoke fondly of Demi, saying, "She welcomed me into her family like I welcomed
her into ours. I have so much respect for how Bruce and Demi worked through their divorce
to be able to put their children first." Not only did Bruce and Emma conquer the idea
of a family, but they also made sure to put work into their marriage. They supported each other
wholeheartedly and never missed an opportunity to express their love and appreciation for one
another. Heming would often dote on her husband on social media, and she did just
that for their twelfth-wedding anniversary. She wrote, "Boy, I sure do love this guy to the
moon and back! … There's no one I would want to go through this crazy thing called marriage with
than with him. He's my family, he's given me the family I dreamed of, and I love him to my core."
The actor also admitted that Heming was the one who completely changed his perspective
on love. "I went from 'Fuck love' to 'Love is truly the answer,'" He gushed.
We can't imagine how difficult this time must be for Bruce and his family. Thankfully,
none of them have to do it alone, and the actor is surrounded by unbelievable women
who love him and stand by him unconditionally. Despite the hardships they've had to endure,
their family unit has remained unbreakable. In a social media post signed by Emme, Demi,
and all of his daughters, they wrote, "We are moving through this as a strong family unit and
wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him.
As Bruce always says, 'Live it up,' and together, we plan to do just that."
It's times like this that true love shows itself like no other. Not only do Bruce and Emma share an
unwavering commitment to one another, the love that they have for their blended family goes
beyond what anyone could have imagined. We wish them only the best during this difficult time.