Demi Moore has offered her support to Bruce Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis, over his ongoing dementia battle.
Two years ago, the Die Hard star’s loved ones announced that he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a year after he retired from his acting career.
Emma, 47, assumed caregiving duties but was met with criticism after she shed light on tough decisions she had been forced to make over the 70-year-old’s care, including her choice sending him to a care home.
During an appearance on Oprah Winfrey’s podcast, the host played her a pre-recorded snippet from a chat with Demi, who spoke of watching her becoming Bruce’s caregiver, and her book about her experiences.
‘There is no road map for how to deal with this. Obviously, being the ex-wife – even though our family is very connected – is an interesting position,’ the Substance actress, 62, said. ‘So much fell on Emma to really figure this whole thing out.
‘The most beautiful thing, and she talks about this in the book, was recognizing the importance for caregivers, that they have to take care of themselves. If they don’t put that time into making sure that they’re okay, they can’t show up for anyone else.
‘I have so much compassion for Emma in this, being a young woman. There’s no way that anybody could have anticipated where this was going to go. I really think she’s done a masterful job.
‘She has been so dedicated to forging the right path. She’s had equal amounts of fear and strength and courage in navigating this. I think that this book is gonna really be very helpful for a lot of people who are walking through this.’
Bruce and Demi were married for around 11 years, and went on to welcome daughters Rumer, Scout and Tallulah together.
Despite their split in 1998, the pair made sure to stay close for the sake of their family and have continued to remain friends over the years, even quarantining together during the pandemic.
When asked how it felt to see the suffering of someone she has shared much of her life with, the Ghost icon added: ‘It’s difficult. It’s hard to see somebody who was so vibrant and strong, and so directed, shift into other parts of themself.
‘My particular perspective is, I really always say it’s so important just to meet them where they’re at. Don’t have an expectation of them needing to be who they were, or who you want them to be.
‘When you do that, I find that there is an incredible sweetness and something that’s soft and tender and loving.
‘When you stay present, there is so much, and there’s still so much of him there. And it may not always be verbal, but it is beautiful, given the givens.’
FTD is an ‘uncommon’ form of the disease that causes the sufferer problems with behavior and language.
Although there are currently no treatments, his family have all used their platforms to raise as much awareness as possible for other sufferers.
Emma, who married Bruce in 2009 and shares daughters Evelyn and Mabel with the Hollywood legend, recently sat down with Diane Sawyer to provide an update on his condition.
Discussing her decision to move her partner into a home, she said: ‘I knew first and foremost, Bruce would want that for our daughters.
What is frontotemportal dementia?
Frontotemporal dementia, aka FTD, is a less common form of dementia usually diagnosed in people aged 45-65, whereas dementia mostly affects people over 65.
The degenerative disease primarily affects communication and behaviour, as opposed to memory, like other types of dementia.
According to the NHS, signs of frontotemporal dementia can include:
- Personality and behaviour changes – acting inappropriately or impulsively, appearing selfish or unsympathetic, neglecting personal hygiene, overeating, or loss of motivation
- language problems – speaking slowly, struggling to make the right sounds when saying a word, getting words in the wrong order, or using words incorrectly
- problems with mental abilities – getting distracted easily, struggling with planning and organisation
- memory problems – these only tend to occur later on, unlike more common forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease
There may also be physical problems, such as slow or stiff movements, loss of bladder or bowel control (usually not until later on), muscle weakness or difficulty swallowing.
Read everything we know about Bruce Willis’ frontotemporal dementia diagnosis.
‘It’s one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. Bruce is in really great health overall. It’s just his brain that is failing him.
‘The language is going, we’ve learned to adapt. And we have a way of communicating with him, which is just a different, a different way.’
Noise can agitate those suffering FTD, and Emma made the decision to give her partner round-the-clock care in a separate home after originally ‘isolating’ her family.
While he may have moved, she insisted that they spend breakfast and dinner together daily, while his friends and family regularly visit.
She also revealed that he recognizes the family and ‘lights up’ when he sees them.
‘He’s holding our hands. We’re kissing him. We’re hugging him. He is reciprocating. He is into it,’ she added.
‘And so that’s all I need. I don’t need him to know that I am his wife, and we were married on this day, and this is what it – I don’t need any of that. I just wanna feel that I have a connection with him. And I do.
‘[I’m] grateful that my husband is still very much here’.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
