Emma Heming Willis is pushing back at people questioning her decision to live separately from husband Bruce Willis as he continues to battle frontotemporal dementia. In a special that aired August 26 on ABC, Heming Willis explained that the “Die Hard” star, 70, is now in a different home with professional caregivers, a move she described as heartbreaking but necessary.
According to USA Today, the decision sparked immediate backlash, prompting her to post a video response on Instagram three days later.
“What I knew is that by sharing some of our intimate information that we would see these two camps, people with opinions and people with actual experience,” she said in the video. Heming Willis added that caregivers are often “quickly judged” by outsiders who don’t understand the realities of long-term care.
She also read an excerpt from her book. She said, “Nothing changes an opinion quite as powerfully as when you have an experience. Even if someone is familiar with dementia or the condition you’re caring for, they aren’t in your home. They don’t see how your person is behaving or what your family dynamics are.”
She ended the video by saying, “The truth is the opinions are so loud and so noisy. But if they don’t have the experience, they don’t get a say, and they definitely don’t get a vote.”
Her stepdaughter, Tallulah Willis, quickly showed her support in the comments, writing: “I love you so much. We love you so much. Thank you for all you do for us and our family.”
Emma Heming Willis says ‘One of the hardest decisions’
During the ABC special, titled Emma & Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey, Emma Heming Willis told Diane Sawyer that choosing a separate home with staff trained for dementia care was “one of the hardest decisions” she has ever made. “But I knew, first and foremost, Bruce would want that for our daughters,” she explained.
According to USA Today, Heming Willis emphasized that the residence where Bruce now lives has become her family’s “second home.” She described it as “a house that is filled with love and warmth and care and laughter,” stressing that she and their children spend plenty of time there.
Emma Hemming Willis shares reality of FTD
The Willis family went public with Bruce’s frontotemporal dementia diagnosis in 2023. The condition, which primarily impacts speech and comprehension, has left him struggling with language, but still physically strong. “He is still very mobile and in really great health overall. It is just his brain that is failing him,” Heming Willis said during the special.
Her upcoming memoir, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, will be released September 9. According to USA Today, the book details the challenges of caregiving, her family’s adjustments, and the strength she’s found in community and honesty.
For Heming Willis, being open about Bruce’s condition and her choices comes with scrutiny. But she made clear that her priority remains his dignity and their family’s well-being.
FAQs
Why is Bruce Willis living in a separate home?
Emma Heming Willis told USA Today the family placed him in a residence with professional dementia caregivers.
What did Emma Heming Willis say to critics?
She said critics are quick to judge caregivers and that only those with real experience can understand.
When was Bruce Willis diagnosed with FTD?
The family announced his diagnosis in 2023.
Is Bruce Willis still healthy?
According to USA Today, he remains mobile and in good physical health, though his language abilities are declining.
