Legendary actor Bruce Willis has been battling frontotemporal dementia (FTD) since his diagnosis back in February of 2023. As his condition worsens, his wife made a difficult decision that she is now defending.
Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis, has been caring for her husband since his diagnosis. She recently spoke to Diane Sawyer of ABC News, where she opened up a bit about his condition and gave an update on his health and well-being.
During the emotional interview, Heming Willis shared what she called the “hardest decision” she has had to make. Now, several days later, she is defending the move on social media.
What is Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD)?
Shortly after Willis shared his diagnosis, Susan Dickson, CEO of the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, conducted a joint interview along with Heming Willis where she gave some insight into the disease.
Dickson explained that the disease is often misdiagnosed, with the symptoms mirroring depression, bipolar disorder, or even Parkinson’s and ALS. Those impacted by the disease can lose language and executive functions, and have trouble moving and speaking.
A Difficult Decision
During the recent interview with Sawyer, the actor’s wife said that while he is in “great health” physically, his condition has worsened as his brain is “failing him.”
“Bruce is still very mobile,” she said. “Bruce is in really great health overall, you know. It’s just his brain that is failing him.”
As a result, she made the difficult decision to move him away from the family home and into another home with a full-time care team.
“Everyone will have an opinion, but you have to remember that most don’t have the experience to back it up.”
Bruce Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis
Heming Willis called it the “hardest decision” she’s made, but said it’s what her husband would want for their daughters, 13-year-old Mabel and 11-year-old Evelyn.
“Bruce would want that for our daughters,” she told Sawyer. “He would want them to be in a home that was more tailored to their needs, not his needs.”
Willis’ Wife Defends the Move
The decision to move her husband out of the family house was a significant update and led to a lot of conversation and criticism on social media, but Heming Willis defended the move.
In a post on social media this week, Heming Willis read an excerpt from her upcoming book, Emma & Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey, where she defended herself from any criticism or opinions from others.
“Everyone will have an opinion, but you have to remember that most don’t have the experience to back it up,” she read from her book, responding to criticism about her decision. “If that’s the case, they shouldn’t offer their two cents about it, and you shouldn’t pay them any mind.”
“Nothing changes an opinion quite as powerfully as when you have an experience,” she said, recounting advice from her therapist. “Even if someone is familiar with dementia … they aren’t in your home. They don’t know how your person is behaving or your family dynamics.
“The truth is … the opinions are so loud, and they’re so noisy. But if they don’t have the experience of this, they don’t get a say, and they definitely don’t get a vote,” she concluded.
Clearly, Heming Willis thinks that the move was best for everyone involved and isn’t willing to listen to any criticism about it.
