Demi Moore Vulnerably Updates Fans on Ex’s ‘Difficult’ Dementia Battle

Demi Moore is opening up about the heartbreaking reality of watching her ex-husband Bruce Willis battle dementia. In a new episode of The Oprah Podcast, Oprah Winfrey sat down with Emma Heming Willis to discuss her upcoming book, ‘The Unexpected Journey: Finding Hope and Purpose’ on the Caregiving Path.

(Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)

During the conversation, Winfrey played a clip of Moore, 62, candidly reflecting on the emotional challenges of seeing Bruce, 70, decline in health.

Moore Says It’s ‘Difficult’ to Watch Bruce’s Decline

Asked by Winfrey how it feels to watch someone she once shared her life and children with go through such a diagnosis, Moore admitted, “It’s difficult. It’s hard to see somebody who was so vibrant and strong and so directed shift into this other parts of themself.”

The “Substance” actress added that her perspective is to “meet them where they’re at” rather than hold onto expectations. “Don’t have an expectation of them needing to be who they were or who you want them to be,” Moore said.

“When you do that I find that there is an incredible sweetness and something that’s soft and tender and loving. Perhaps it is more playful and childlike in certain sense because of how much more caretaking they need.”

Finding ‘Sweetness’ in the Present

Moore explained that the most important thing for her is being present. “If you project where it’s going, it only creates anxiety,” she said. “If you replay where it was and what you’ve lost, it only creates anxiety and grief. So 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.”

Moore had opened up about Bruce’s dementia battle a few months back on the Today show. Watch the clip here:

Moore Praises Heming Willis’ Courage

She also expressed deep compassion for Heming Willis, acknowledging the weight of her role as Bruce’s primary caregiver.

“So much fell on Emma to really figure this whole thing out,” Moore said. “And 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. … I really think she’s done a masterful job.”

Watch the full interview here:

A Family Focused on Connection & Support

(Photo by Warner Brothers/Getty Images)

Moore emphasized that, despite being the ex-wife, she still feels deeply connected to Bruce’s life and family. “There is no road map for how to deal with this,” she told Winfrey. “Being the ex-wife, even though our family is very connected, is an interesting position.”

In October 2024, Moore echoed similar sentiments at the Hamptons International Film Festival, where she shared that Bruce was “stable” at the time.

(Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)

“What I always encourage is to just meet them where they’re at. When you’re holding on to what was, I think it’s a losing game,” she said then, as per People. “But when you show up to meet them where they’re at, there is great beauty and sweetness.”

Emma Heming Willis’s memoir, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Hope and Purpose on the Caregiving Path, is set for release on September 9.

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