Rumer Willis is learning how to love the father in front of her while missing the man she remembers. The House Bunny actress, 38, spoke about Bruce Willis and his frontotemporal dementia in a video shared by health company Function on Monday, August 24.
Bruce, 71, has lived privately since stepping away from acting following his 2022 aphasia diagnosis. His family revealed the following year that his condition had progressed to FTD.
Rumer Willis Describes Grief During Dad Bruce’s Dementia Battle
“I really miss my dad,” Rumer said. “I miss a different version of who he was. There are some days that are just so hard.”
The former Dancing with the Stars champion said grief does not erase the time she still has with the Die Hard star. “I try to prioritize being present with where he’s at now,” she said.
Her family has taken a similar approach, protecting Bruce’s privacy while keeping him close to familiar faces.
Rumer Focuses on the Father She Has Today
Rumer is the oldest of Bruce’s three daughters with ex-wife Demi Moore. They also share Scout Willis, 35, and Tallulah Willis, 32. Bruce and his wife, Emma Heming Willis, are parents to Mabel Willis, 14, and Evelyn Willis, 12.
The blended family has remained closely involved in Bruce’s dementia journey. He recently joined them as Tallulah married Justin Acee, a milestone they could celebrate together.
Emma has described the experience as an ambiguous loss, while Rumer has found comfort in Bruce’s gentler side. She previously said there is now a new sweetness and tenderness to her father that feels different from the tough image he carried for decades.
Bruce Willis’ Bond With Granddaughter Louetta
A source of gratitude for Rumer is the relationship Bruce has formed with her daughter, Louetta Isley Thomas Willis, 3, whom she shares with ex Derek Richard Thomas.
“I’m so grateful that I have a child that got to meet him because I don’t know if my sisters will have that,” Rumer said during a May appearance on The Inside Edit.
Rumer has previously shared glimpses of Bruce embracing life as a grandfather. Those moments have given Louetta a connection to him even as FTD changes the way he communicates.
Why Rumer Willis Took an Alzheimer’s Risk Test
Bruce’s diagnosis has also made Rumer more determined to understand her own health. Although FTD and Alzheimer’s disease are different forms of dementia, according to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, she chose to take Function’s ApoE gene test to assess her inherited Alzheimer’s risk.
The results placed her in the average-risk category. “It’s terrifying to get answers sometimes,” Rumer told People in a report published Monday, August 24.
“Obviously there are genetic things in my family. Not just dementia, I’ve had some family members who have had breast cancer and family members who have had different things.”
Still, she believes knowledge gives her a chance to make more informed decisions. “But I think when you have information, it’s power,” Rumer said.
