Bruce Willis‘ ex-wife, Demi Moore, has revealed how she is dealing with the former actor’s dementia illness.
She urged families of people with dementia to “let go of the person” they once knew and “take in the joy and the love that is present” for who the individual is now.
Moore and Willis have remained close to each other despite divorcing in 2000. They also share three daughters: Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah.
Demi Moore Urges Families of Dementia Sufferers To ‘Let Go Of’ The Person They Knew
Instagram | Demi Moore
Witnessing Willis’ struggle with dementia has undoubtedly been a source of profound emotional pain for his loved ones, a sentiment shared by many families facing similar journeys. However, Demi Moore, his ex-wife, has chosen a unique path amidst these challenges.
Speaking on Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM show Radio Andy, Moore shared how she has learned to deal with Willis’ condition while stating that “people out there who have family members who have dementia” and “maybe caring for them or in their lives.”
“I think the most important thing I could share is just to meet them where they’re at,” Moore said on the show, per Daily Mail.
She added, “When you let go of who they’ve been or who you think they [should be], or who even you would like them to be, you can then really stay in the present and take in the joy and the love that is present and there for all that they are, not all that they’re not.”
Bruce Willis’ Wife’s Emotional Tribute To The Actor Amid His Illness
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Just a few days ago, Emma Hemming, Willis’s wife, took fans on a trip down memory lane by posting an emotional tribute to her beloved husband.
Via her Instagram page, the 45-year-old shared nostalgic throwbacks of herself, Willis, and their two daughters, Mabel and Evelyn. The footage seems to be from a time when the actor had not yet been diagnosed with the debilitating illness, as his lively personality was evident.
In one heartwarming moment, the family could be seen enjoying a fun outing on the beach. A second one featured Bruce affectionately patting Emma’s head with a washcloth as she lay in bed in a maternity suite ahead of giving birth.
“When I was a little girl, all I ever dreamed of was to fall in love with the man of my dreams, the white picket fence, having a family and to know what unconditional love feels like,” Emma penned in the since-deleted post, per The Mirror.
She added, “The moral is, be careful what you wish for cause you just might get it.”
Bruce Willis’ Wife Says Having Support ‘Felt Like The Heavens Opened Up’
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Earlier in the month, Emma also opened up to fans how she was able to get out of a “dark place” after her husband’s dementia diagnosis.
Reflecting on her experience in an Instagram video, Emma said finding a connection helped her to start “building a community around her that had shared experiences.” To her, it “felt like the heavens opened up,” making it easier to deal with the emotional turmoil she was grappling with.
The former model advised fans facing a similar situation that their friends and family may not know “what to say, how to show up,” or “what to do,” and emphasized not to take it out on them.
She also provided a list of organizations where families of people living with dementia can get support, namely the Hilarity for Charity, The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), and Lorenzo’s House—all of which host “online virtual support groups.”
All About Bruce Willis’ Dementia Condition
Instagram | Demi Moore
Back in March 2022, Willis’ family disclosed that the actor was dealing with aphasia and was “stepping” away from acting. Then, in February of the following year, they revealed an additional diagnosis of Frontotemporal dementia—a progressive disease leading to speech and language problems, emotional blunting, and changes in social behavior.
Fast forward to October, a friend of Willis, Glenn Gordon Caron, confirmed that the 68-year-old Die Hard star was no longer “totally verbal” and had lost his “language skills.”
“He’s not totally verbal; he used to be a voracious reader — he didn’t want anyone to know that — and he’s not reading now,” said the “Moonlighting” creator at the time, per Page Six. “All those language skills are no longer available to him, and yet he’s still Bruce.”
Since being diagnosed, Willis has made fewer and fewer public appearances and was last spotted taking a solo walk on the streets of Santa Monica last December.