Bruce Willis' wife slams 'stupid' claims he has 'no more joy' amid dementia battle
Bruce Willis' wife is pushing back on "stupid" claims about his dementia battle.
Emma Heming Willis, 45, took to Instagram on Sunday to slam a headline claiming "there is no more joy" in her husband, 68, as he battles frontotemporal dementia.
"That is far from the truth," she told her followers. "I need society, and whosever's writing these stupid headlines, to stop scaring people. Stop scaring people to think that once they get a diagnosis of some kind of neurocognitive disease that that's it, it's over, let's pack it up, nothing else to see here, we're done. No. It is the complete opposite of that."
Willis stepped away from acting in 2022 after he was diagnosed with aphasia. The following year, his family shared that he had received the more specific diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia, which according to the Mayo Clinic can cause "extreme changes in behavior and personality." Last month, talk show host Wendy Williams revealed she has also been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
In her Instagram video, Heming Willis reflected that "there is grief and sadness" amid her husband's dementia battle, but he has also started "a new chapter" that is filled with "love" and "joy."
"So stop with these stupid headlines, these stupid clickbaity things that freak people out," she added.
Heming Willis has been married to the "Die Hard" actor since 2009, and he was previously married to Demi Moore from 1987 to 2000. Moore shared an update on Willis in January, telling "Good Morning America" that "given the givens, he's doing very well."
"What I'll share is what I say to my children, which (is) it's important to just meet them where they're at and not hold onto what isn't, but what is, because there's great beauty and sweetness and loving and joy out of that," she added.
What to know:Wendy Williams, like Bruce Willis, has aphasia, frontotemporal dementia
In the caption of her Instagram video, Heming Willis wrote that she has learned "two things can be true and exist at the same time," including grief and love, sadness and connection, and trauma and resilience.
"I had to get out of my own way to get here but once I arrived, life really started to come together with meaning and I had a true sense of purpose," Heming Willis wrote. "There is so much beauty and soulfulness in this story."
Bruce Willis' diagnosis:What is frontotemporal dementia? Causes, symptoms, treatments
She also called out "misinformation" spread by those who "have not taken the time to properly educate themselves on any kind of neurocognitive disease," adding, "Please be mindful how you frame your (stories) to the public about dementia and dig deeper. There are so many wonderful organizations and specialists within this space to reach out to so you can really do your due diligence to iron your story and content out."
In February, Heming Willis announced she will write a book about caregiving that's set to publish in 2025. In a statement, she said that after her husband's diagnosis, "identifying the right resources to educate and enlighten myself has been powerful," and she wants to "share that with the next person who finds themselves here."