How the Early Signs of Dementia Began to Impact Bruce Willis’ Marriage

For Emma Heming Willis, the first signs of Bruce Willis’ dementia showed up at home, in their marriage. The man she knew as loving and lively suddenly seemed quieter, more withdrawn, and less like his old self. In a special interview that aired on Good Morning America on Tuesday, August 26th, Heming Willis made some vulnerable admissions about how her marriage was impacted.

Emma Recalls the Subtle but Scary Shifts in Bruce Willis’ Behavior

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Talking to Diane Sawyer, Heming Willis said, “It was alarming and scary,” she admitted, reflecting on the moments that made her question their relationship before doctors offered clarity.

“When the family would get together, he’d just melt a little bit,” Emma recalled. At first, she assumed it was hearing loss, an issue Willis developed while filming the first “Die Hard.” But when his warmth and affection gave way to distance, she worried something deeper was wrong.

(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

“To go the complete opposite of that was alarming and scary. I didn’t understand what was happening and I thought just, like, ‘How can I remain in a marriage that doesn’t feel like what we had?’”

Struggles Inside Their Marriage

(Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)

Emma revealed she and Willis had “conversations” about their relationship struggles, but he often dismissed them. “It got very bumpy and confusing,” she said. His once lively personality began to shift, with his joy “fluctuating” between moments of happiness and sudden withdrawal.

She admitted feeling panicked and isolated as she tried to understand what was happening. “I didn’t know who to trust. I would just Google things on my own, hoping for answers,” Emma confessed. “I thought maybe it was a benign brain tumor.”

The Difficult Diagnosis

In 2022, the wonderfully blended Willis’ family revealed he was stepping away from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia. By February 2023, doctors clarified it was frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a condition that affects language, behavior, and personality.

Courtesy of: ABC News Studios

Emma recalled the moment she first heard the diagnosis: “To leave there with no … nothing, just nothing. With a diagnosis I couldn’t pronounce. I didn’t understand what it was. I was so panicked. I just remember hearing it and just not hearing anything else. It was like I was free-falling.”

She admitted that Willis himself “never connected the dots” about his illness, leaving the family to process the news together. Emma told their daughters quickly, wanting them to understand what was happening.

“It was relief, like, ‘OK, now we get it, now we understand truly what’s happening,’” she said.

Emma’s Ongoing Journey With Bruce

Today, Emma continues to balance the roles of wife and caregiver, moving Willis into a one-story home with around-the-clock care. She visits daily for breakfast and dinner, calling it “one of the hardest decisions I’ve made,” but one she believes Willis would want “for our daughters.”

(Photo by 20th Century-Fox/Getty Images)

Though his speech is fading, Emma said the family has adapted. “We have a way of communicating with him, which is just a different way,” she explained. Even so, moments of recognition still shine through. “It’s his laugh, right? Like, he has such, like, a hearty laugh. Sometimes you’ll see that twinkle in his eye, or that smirk, and I just get transported,” Emma said.

(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

“As quickly as those moments appear, then it goes. But I’m grateful. I’m grateful that my husband is still very much here.”

Through the heartbreak, Emma Heming Willis continues to stand by Bruce’s side, holding on to love and the small moments of connection that remain. Watch Emma’s gut-wrenching interview now streaming on Hulu.

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