Bruce Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis, is reflecting on her husband’s crushing frontotemporal dementia diagnosis and the impact it’s had on their two young daughters, Mabel and Evelyn.
“The truth is, Mabel and Evelyn’s daily lives were being turned upside down,” Heming Willis, 49, wrote in her new book, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path. “For example, with FTD and other forms of dementia, some people become more sensitive to noise, which can cause distraction, confusion, and agitation. So I had everyone tiptoeing around the house to keep it as peaceful and serene as possible. This meant playdates were obsolete and forget about sleepovers.”
Heming Willis compared their former living situation to having “a muzzle” on Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11, and felt like it was “starting to isolate them from having their own lives.” She thought back to the “loud and crazy and fun” times Willis, 70, used to have with his children and how different life had become for him and his loved ones. (Willis’ family publicly announced his dementia diagnosis in February 2023, nearly one year after revealing he had aphasia, a language disorder.)
Emma Heming Willis Says Living Apart Prepares Kids for Bruce Willis’ Death
“I realized I was creating an environment he never would have wanted, and this made me feel awful for all of us,” she said. “I know his values, what’s important to him, and that his five daughters always came first. Anyone who knows Bruce knows that his love for his girls was unwavering, and he cared deeply about their happiness and well-being.” (Willis also shares daughters Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31, with ex-wife Demi Moore.)
Heming Willis noted that her home became a place where “no one was thriving.” She decided it was best to move Willis into a separate home with a care team to “find a better balance and fit” for everyone involved.
While promoting her book, Heming Willis defended the decision to move her husband into a second home after receiving social media backlash.
“It’s really not up for a debate,” she said during a Good Morning America appearance on Tuesday, September 9. “Now I know that Bruce has the best care 100 percent of the time. His needs are met 100 percent of the time, as well as our two young daughters’. So I’m not gonna take a vote on that.”
Emma Heming Willis Reveals How Family Navigates Bruce Missing Milestones
Heming Willis “knew” that the living arrangement was going to create “a debate online.” She admitted it was “a hard decision” for her to make but felt like it “was the safest and best decision — not just for Bruce, but also for our two young girls.”
The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path is out now.
