Bruce Willis’ Wife Shares Update On His Dementia Diagnosis

Bruce Willis’ wife says the actor’s brain is “failing him” three years after he retired from acting due to frontotemporal dementia.

Emma Heming Willis is set to talk about her experience caring for the action star following his diagnosis in an interview with ABC News’ Diane Sawyer, airing Tuesday night.

“Bruce is in really great health overall. It’s just his brain that is failing him…” she told Sawyer. “The language is going, and we’ve learned to adapt. And we have a way of communicating with him, which is just a different way.”

In 2023, Willis’ family announced he was living with dementia and would no longer be able to work as an actor. His diagnosis has severely limited his language skills and is also known to cause changes in personality and behavior.

Though her husband’s ability to talk, listen and comprehend speech has declined, the former model said the personality she fell in love with still surfaces from time to time.

“Not days, but we get moments,” she revealed. “It’s his laugh, right? Like, he has such a hearty laugh. And, you know, sometimes you’ll see that twinkle in his eye, or that smirk, and, you know, I just get transported.

“And it’s just hard to see, because as quickly as those moments appear, then it goes,” Heming Willis went on. “It’s hard, but I’m grateful. I’m grateful that my husband is still very much here.”

Willis’ wife will delve into her life as a full-time caretaker in her forthcoming book, “The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path,” set for release Sept. 9.