Bruce Willis Diagnosed With Dementia: His Family Doing the Best They Can to Help Him Live a Full Life Despite 'Cruel Disease'

Bruce Willis dementia frontotemporal dementia aphasia Emma Heming Willis Demi Moore The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration cruel disease blended family brain disorder decline in functioning

By Jo Anne Hubert , Parent Herald Feb 23, 05:15 pm

Photo: (Photo : Getty Images/ANGELA WEISS/AFP)

The wife of the actor announced that he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, and the entire family and loved ones are rallying behind him in this challenging period of their lives.

Hollywood A-list actor Bruce Willis has frontotemporal dementia, a more precise diagnosis after his aphasia diagnosis in 2022 progressed. Amid this painful news, the Die Hard star's family, which is composed of wife Emma Heming Willis, along with their children, Mabel, 10, and Evelyn, 8; and ex-wife Demi Moore with children Rumer Willis, 34, Scout Willis, 31, and Tallulah Willis, 29, are doing the best they can together to allow him to "live as full a life as possible," as expressed by his family through a statement.

A family source told People that the family is "closer than ever."

Emma is determined to create as many beautiful and positive memories between Bruce and their daughters as she wants them to have the best memories with him and remember him as a fun and amazing dad.

'Cruel Disease'

The source also shared how the entire family is focused on keeping the actor active. He has a busy daily schedule filled with activities to ensure his body and brain are given exercises.

In an official statement the Willis family published via The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) website, they shared how the actor has always found abundant joy in life and naturally helps everyone do the same. And so, at this point in his life, the family is just grateful for the compassion, understanding, and respect people give them. All those fuel them to provide the husband and father a "life as full as possible" despite his sickness.

The family called his disease "cruel" in the released statement as it is never heard of, yet can strike anyone. But more than that, the family needed to face the fact that there are still no available treatments or cures for the disease and that they are hoping against hope that this will change soon.

'We are FAMILY'

In an Instagram post of Demi Moore during the holidays, which she captioned, "We are FAMILY," many of their followers had expressed being blessed and inspired by their big, unique family, which takes the term "blended" into a whole different yet inspiring level. The photo was of Bruce, his wife Emma and their two daughters, and ex-wife Demi and their three daughters in front of their Christmas Tree.

One comment empathized with their pain as a family as they dealt with Bruce's complex condition but acknowledged how love from the family could bring healing and comfort.

Another precious comment stated, "Thank you for showing the world that bigger better families can be built, even along a broken road. Loving one another is so important!"

According to AFTD, frontotemporal dementia is a brain disorder that brings an unavoidable decline in behavior, language and/or movement functioning. In its progress, the patient can experience difficulty planning activities, misbehaving in social settings, and communicating and relating with loved ones and others.