Bruce Willis’ Wife Says ‘It’s Hard to Know’ if Legendary Actor Understands His Dementia Diagnosis

Bruce Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis, revealed “it’s hard to know” if the actor has any awareness of his condition after being diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) earlier this year. Heming appeared on The Today Show Monday morning, alongside Susan Dickson, CEO of the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, to kick off World FTD Awareness Week.

Heming Willis spoke emotionally of her husband’s battle with the disease. When asked by host Hoda Kotb if Bruce is at all aware of his decline, his wife responded: “Hard to know. It’s hard to know.”

“One of the things that the frontal lobe controls is self insight,” Dickson said. “So we really don’t know. Some people, the first thing they lose is any understanding that they have changed. And other people retain that for a long time.”

Explaining to Kotb how she handles her husband’s illness with their two young children, ages 11 and eight, Heming Willis revealed she and Bruce never intended to hide anything from them. “We’re a very honest and open household,” Heming Willis said. “The most important thing for us was to be able to say what the disease was, [to] explain it. I don’t want there to be any stigma or shame attached to their dad’s diagnosis or to dementia.”

Dickson lamented that FTD is often misdiagnosed, with the symptoms mirroring depression, bipolar disorder, or even Parkinson’s and ALS. Those affected can lose language and executive functions, and have trouble moving and speaking. In some cases, it takes years to get a proper diagnosis. Dickson further reported that in 20–25 percent of cases, the disease is passed down genetically. In the majority of instances, however, it’s unknown what causes the disease, which is why it’s so hard to diagnose.

Asked how she felt upon learning of Bruce’s illness, Heming Willis admitted she was just relieved to know. “It was the blessing and the curse. To finally understand what was happening doesn’t make it any less painful. Just being in the acceptance, just being in the know of what is happening to Bruce, makes it a little bit easier.”

“Dementia is hard,” Heming Willis admitted. “It's hard on the person diagnosed, it’s hard on the family. That is no different for myself, for Bruce, for our girls. When they say that this is a family disease, it really is.”

You can watch the full interview below.