After Becoming Bruce Willis’ Caregiver, Emma Heming Willis Is Speaking Up About How To Take Care Of One’s Own Health

Feb 25, 2026 by apost team

When Emma Heming Willis began noticing alarming changes in her husband, Bruce Willis’ behavior, she could not have imagined how profoundly their lives would shift. The world knew the actor as the charismatic action icon of “Die Hard” and “Armageddon.” Still, at home, subtle shifts in mood and communication eventually marked the beginning of an emotional journey neither spouse expected.

For Heming Willis, the past few years have reshaped everything. After the actor was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in early 2023, she stepped into the role of caregiver. It is a role she carries with strength, but also with honesty about how consuming it can be. In a conversation with PEOPLE, Heming Willis shared how the experience opened her eyes to the realities caregivers face.

Heming Willis said, “I think that 40% of caregivers aren’t making their own medical appointments and caregivers can sometimes pass before their loved ones,” and continued, “So that’s a reminder to keep me on track and hopefully educate people, caregiver or not, just about the importance of caring for yourself. It’s really vital.” The statistics startled her. They also forced her to look at her own habits.

Without a doubt, caregiving can easily become all-encompassing, she admitted, leaving little space for personal health. “It’s really easy to get bogged down with our to-do lists and our calendars. I try to have a ‘brain break’ on my calendar.” She then said with a laugh, “So I remember to step away from the screen, getting outside, making sure that I am checking the boxes on my brain health journey because that’s sort of how I care for myself now. I think about my brain first and the rest of my body benefits.”

That mindset eventually grew into something bigger. It became the foundation for Heming Willis’ women’s brain health brand, Make Time Wellness, which recently debuted on QVC’s The New Beauty Inside & Out series focused on holistic wellness. She told PEOPLE, “We are thrilled to now be a part of the QVC family,” and continued, “We get to really talk about the products, talk about brain health, really educate women right there in real time. I’m just really excited to spread the word about that because no one is talking to women about their brains, even our doctors.”

Her passion for brain health did not start as a business idea. It started as frustration. She recalled struggling with her own brain health concerns in the past, only to feel dismissed when she sought medical advice. That experience pushed her to take a more active role in her care. She said she has learned to “dig deeper and advocate for myself a little bit more.” The lesson, she believes, extends far beyond her own story.

Too many women are conditioned to shrink themselves in the service of others. She told PEOPLE, “I mean, it’s embedded in our brand name, you know, making time for yourself,” and continued:

“I think it’s just coming from the mindset of knowing how important I am and trying to keep sight of that. We have to really learn how to value ourselves.”

Her message is especially urgent for women who are caregivers, mothers, partners and daughters all at once. The instinct to put everyone else first runs deep. “As women in society, we tend to put ourselves last, and we put everyone’s needs above our own.” She then said:

“And what I’ve realized is that if you are not caring for yourself, if you are not finding ways to make time for your health, your hobbies, it’s impossible to be able to care for the people that we love.” 

apost.com

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