Demi Moore Shares Update on Bruce Willis' Health, Reflecting on the 'Great Loss' and 'Great Beauty' in His Dementia Journey
Moore further explained: "There is great loss, but there is also great beauty and gifts that can come from it." The marriage between the G.I. Jane alum and Sixth Sense star lasted from 1987 until 2000. The Pulp Fiction actor married Emma Heming Willis in 2009, and together they have two daughters, Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 10. In March 2022, the actor’s family revealed that Willis was retiring from the entertainment world due to an aphasia diagnosis.
The statement read: “To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities.” The message went on: “As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.”
The family of Willis added: “This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support. We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him. As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that.”
Over a year after that, Moore disclosed that her former partner's aphasia had progressed into frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a frequently occurring type of dementia. In February 2023, the St. Elmo's Fire star wrote on Instagram: “As a family, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for the outpouring of love and compassion for Bruce over the past ten months.”
She continued: “Your generosity of spirit has been overwhelming, and we are tremendously grateful for it. For your kindness, and because we know you love Bruce as much as we do, we wanted to give you an update.” Moore has remained steadfast in her support for her ex-husband during his health challenges, joining forces with Heming Willis, 46, and their children to extend Father's Day wishes to him earlier this year.
In October 2024, at the Hamptons International Film Festival, Moore provided an analogous health update regarding Willis. At the time, she said: "The disease is what the disease is. And I think you have to be in real deep acceptance of what that is. But for where he’s at, he is stable." She added: "What I always encourage is to just meet them where they’re at. When you’re holding on to what was, I think it’s a losing game. But when you show up to meet them where they’re at, there is great beauty and sweetness."