Emma Heming Willis is sharing a deeply personal look at life with her husband, Bruce Willis, as he lives with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). In a preview of her sit-down with Diane Sawyer, set to air on Good Morning America on Tuesday, August 26, Emma reflected on how she and Bruce first came to terms with his diagnosis, a reality the family shared publicly in 2023.
Emma Says Bruce ‘Never Connected the Dots’ About His Dementia Diagnosis
(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)“I don’t think Bruce ever really connected the dots,” Emma admitted, in a clip shared by ABC News. Reflecting on her own reaction, she added, “To leave there with nothing, just nothing, with a diagnosis I couldn’t pronounce … I didn’t understand what it was. I was so panicked. I just remember hearing it and just not hearing anything else. It was like I was free-falling.”
Why FTD Patients Often Don’t Recognize Their Condition
Dr. Bruce Miller, an expert in FTD who has not treated Willis, explained that his response is common. “The patient is incredibly unaware of what is happening,” he said. “I think the parts of the brain that allow us to suffer and self-reflect are lost very early in FTD.”
FTD differs from Alzheimer’s disease, as it typically appears earlier, with the mean age of diagnosis being 56.
(Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)“Bruce is still very mobile,” Emma shared. “Bruce is in really great health overall. It’s just his brain that is failing him. The language is going. We’ve learned to adapt, and we have a way of communicating with him, which is just a different way.”
Emma Noticed Subtle Changes in Bruce’s Behavior
(Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)Emma said she began noticing something was off with her husband years before the official diagnosis. “For someone who is very talkative, very engaged, he was just a little more quiet,” she explained. “When the family would get together, he would kind of just melt a little bit.”
She also recalled how his personality shifted. “He felt a little removed, very cold. Not like Bruce who was very warm and affectionate. The complete opposite of that was alarming and scary.”
The couple, who married in 2009, share daughters Mabel and Evelyn. Bruce also has three adult daughters with his ex-wife Demi Moore. Emma revealed that he began losing words as his childhood stutter resurfaced, another sign of the disease’s progression.
Holding Onto Moments of Joy & Connection
(Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images)Despite the challenges, Emma said she continues to cherish moments when her husband’s personality shines through. “We still get those days. Not days. We get moments. 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, like, transported,” she said.
“It’s just hard to see that. Because as quickly as those moments appear … then it goes. And it’s hard. But I’m grateful my husband is still very much here.”
How To Watch Emma’s Heartfelt Interview With Diane Sawyer?
Fans can see more of Emma’s story in Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey – A Diane Sawyer Special, airing Tuesday, August 26, at 8/7c on ABC and streaming the next day on Hulu.
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