Bruce Willis’ wife says “people are nervous” about visiting the dementia-stricken ‘Die Hard’ actor.
Bruce Willis’ wife says ‘people are nervous’ about visiting the dementia-stricken ‘Die Hard’ actor
Former model Emma Heming Willis, 44, who shared her devastation in February about her 68-year-old partner’s health woes in a joint statement with the rest of his family, made the admission while opening up about her experience struggling with the ups and downs of being a caregiver following Bruce’s diagnosis.
She said in an Instagram Live: “People are nervous about coming around, they’re not used to seeing the person they knew in a different state, that can get a little tricky… once they get this diagnosis people tend to write them off.”
Emma – who has daughters Mabel, 11, and Evelyn, nine, with dad-of-five Bruce, to whom she got married in 2009 – admitted it can be “easy” to “get into the doom and gloom” after Bruce was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and retired from acting, but she tries to stay upbeat.
She added: “I have times when I’m in it to win it and times when I can’t focus due to life.
“I try to start my day and end my day in gratitude, things I want to make time for in my day and when I go to bed I think of three things I got right.
“It’s so easy to get into the doom and gloom of what went wrong so it’s really about flipping the script and changing that self talk.”
Emma insisted she was having a “good” day, adding: “I have my moments it just depends so hanging in there, doing the best that I can, turning my pain into purpose is the vibe that I’m leading with.
"I’m trying to lift everyone up I think community is everything and I didn’t have that for a while.
“There’s so much love and support and I find so much strength through it.”
Emma revealed in a different video how she burst into tears after her daughter Evelyn told her she had searched for “fun facts about dementia” during her free time at school to try and help Bruce.
Bruce also has daughters Rumer, 34, Scout, 31, and Tallulah, 29, with his 60-year-old former wife Demi Moore.
He has remained so close to the ‘G.I. Jane’ actress she was included in the family statement that announced Bruce was suffering frontotemporal dementia, which affects behaviour, problem-solving, planning and emotions.
The news came after Bruce last year retired from acting due to the brain disorder aphasia affecting his ability to understand language.
Emma marked his 68th birthday on 19 March by posting a video in which she admitted to “beginning the day by crying” over the actor’s health woes.
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