Emma Heming Willis, a model and entrepreneur known for her marriage to Hollywood action star Bruce Willis, has opened up about managing their family life as her husband navigates ongoing health challenges. The 47-year-old has built a career as a businesswoman while stepping into a caregiving role for Bruce, who was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in 2023.
Emma Heming Willis on TODAY Show
According to TODAY, Emma appeared on the morning show on Wednesday, May 27, and briefly spoke about her husband as the family manages his struggle with FTD. "You know, we're doing well," she told Savannah Guthrie. "My husband is supported and loved and we're doing the best we can under the circumstances."
Understanding Frontotemporal Dementia
The 'Die Hard' star's family announced Bruce Willis had been diagnosed with FTD in 2023. It is a catch-all term for a group of brain disorders that cause the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain to atrophy, leading to speech issues, emotional problems, and changes in personality. Other symptoms can include loss of motor skills, such as problems walking, swallowing, or muscle spasms. It is a progressive disease and the most common form of dementia for people under 60.
For Bruce, he remains "still very much present in his body," Emma explained, adding that as his dementia has progressed, "we have progressed along with him. We've adapted along with him."
Bruce Willis Moved to Second Home
Earlier this year, Emma revealed that Bruce, 71, was moved to a second home due to the progression of his FTD. "It was one of the hardest decisions. It did not come easy," Emma told Cameron Oaks Rogers on the January 28 episode of his 'Conversations with Cam' podcast. "Caregivers are faced with really hard decisions and we have to do what is the best for our family, what's the safest for our person."
Ultimately, concern for Mabel Ray, 14, and Evelyn Penn, 12, the daughters she shares with the actor, impacted the decision. "Bruce wouldn't want his two young daughters to be clouded by his disease. I know that," she explained. "They weren't having sleepovers, play dates. We weren't inviting people over … it was a really hard time."
Emma Heming Willis Launches Brain Health Brand
As a caregiver for Bruce, Emma said one of the things she quickly realized was how vital it is to make sure she remains healthy herself, which inspired her growing women's brain health brand, 'Make Time Wellness'.
During the morning show, she noted that 1 in 5 women will get Alzheimer's disease, compared to 1 in 10 men, and stressed the importance of having conversations about brain health. "What I've learned is that it's so important to care for ourselves and if we're not caring for ourselves, how can we care for the people that we love in our lives? So it's really important to prioritize our health, to prioritize our brain health," she said. "There's actually actionable things we can do today to support our brain tomorrow."
Emma explained of their family's journey together: "We have progressed along with him, and we've adapted along with him as his dementia progressed."
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