Bruce Willis’ Wife Emma Heming Willis Says His Brain Is ‘Failing Him’ In Emotional Dementia Update

Bruce Willis and his loved ones are staying strong in the face of his heartbreaking illness. The Hollywood icon’s wife, Emma Heming Willis, shared an emotional update on his condition in a new ABC News interview with Diane Sawyer, saying that Bruce’s dementia symptoms are starting to take a turn for the worse despite his physical well-being remaining steady. “Bruce is still very mobile. Bruce is in really great health overall, it’s just his brain that is failing him,” she said in a preview segment that aired on “Good Morning America” Aug. 26. Bruce was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, or FTD, in 2023. The disease affects parts of the brain associated with personality, behavior and speech, according to the Mayo Clinic, and Emma went on to confirm that Bruce is demonstrating losses in those areas. “The language is g oing, and we’ve learned to adapt,” she explained. “And we have a way of communicating with him, which is just a different way.” The author, whose new book “The Unexpected Journey” chronicles her caregiving experience in the hopes of helping others facing similar situations, teared up when recalling how she still sees brief glimpses of the old Bruce. “It’s his laugh, right? He has such a hearty laugh. And sometimes you’ll see that twinkle in his eye, or that smirk, and I just get transported. And it’s just hard to see that because as quickly as those moments appear, then it goes. It’s hard, but I’m grateful that my husband is still very much here.” Emma and Bruce married in 2009 and share two young girls. The pair’s blended family also includes his three grown daughters with ex-wife Demi Moore, all of whom have shared public support for him and Emma since Bruce’s diagnosis was made public.