Emma Heming Willis Shares How Love & Care Guide Bruce Willis’ Dementia Journey

May 29, 2026 by apost team

Emma Heming Willis is speaking with honesty and compassion about family life as her husband, actor Bruce Willis, lives with frontotemporal dementia, also known as FTD. In a TODAY appearance on May 27, 2026, the model, entrepreneur and caregiver gave a measured update on how the family is coping while continuing to protect Bruce’s dignity and well-being.

“You know, we’re doing well,” Emma told Savannah Guthrie. “My husband is supported and loved, and we’re doing the best we can under the circumstances.”

In March 2022, Emma and the rest of Bruce’s family announced the “Die Hard” actor’s forced retirement from acting due to aphasia, a language disorder that profoundly affected his ability to communicate effectively. However, in early 2023, Bruce’s condition took a turn for the worse and turned into frontotemporal dementia, a degenerative brain disorder that impacts the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. Some of the symptoms of this condition include personality changes, speech difficulties and motor or muscle impairments, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

For Emma, caregiving has also shaped her public advocacy. She has connected her personal experience to her work with Make Time Wellness, a women’s brain-health brand, and has emphasized that caregivers cannot pour from an empty cup.

“What I’ve learned is that it’s so important to care for ourselves,” she said. “If we’re not caring for ourselves, how can we care for the people that we love in our lives? So it’s really important to prioritize our health, to prioritize our brain health.”

Her message is not only about one family’s experience. It also points to a wider caregiving reality: dementia changes routines, relationships and responsibilities, while families learn how to balance safety, privacy and love.

Emma has also spoken about the painful choices that can come with dementia care. In the Jan. 28, 2026 episode of the Conversations with Cam podcast, she discussed the decision to move Bruce into a second home designed around his care needs.

“It was one of the hardest decisions. It did not come easy,” she said. “Caregivers are faced with really hard decisions, and we have to do what is the best for our family, what’s the safest for our person.”

She explained that the decision also considered the couple’s daughters, Mabel Ray and Evelyn Penn, and the home life every child deserves.

“Bruce wouldn’t want his two young daughters to be clouded by his disease,” she said, describing how sleepovers, playdates and visitors had become difficult.

According to the National Institute on Aging, frontotemporal disorders are linked to changes in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain and can affect behavior, language, movement and social functioning. The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration says FTD is the most common dementia for people under 60 and that there is no cure or disease-slowing treatment.

Emma has also used her platform to highlight women’s brain health. The Alzheimer’s Association says nearly two-thirds of Americans living with Alzheimer’s are women, and a woman’s estimated lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer’s at age 65 is 1 in 5.

Through it all, Emma continues to frame her family’s journey around adaptation and connection.

“He’s still very much present in his body,” she said, adding that as his dementia has progressed, “we have progressed along with him. We’ve adapted along with him.”

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Emma Heming Willis’ words show how love can remain present even when life changes. Have you ever seen a caregiver make a painful choice out of love? Let us know, and then pass this along to someone who understands the strength it takes to care for family!