Emma Hemming-Willis launched a headline describing her husband Bruce Willis as “no longer having fun”, saying such a claim was “far from the truth” and to “stop scaring people”.
The famous “Die Hard” actor stepped away from acting in March 2022 after he was diagnosed with aphasia, which affected his cognitive abilities. His family announced in February 2023 that he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
Hemming Willis said in an Instagram video on Sunday that she “felt provoked” after coming across a headline that “basically said there is no more joy in my husband.”
“I can tell you that couldn't be further from the truth,” she said. “One hundred percent, there's sadness and sorrow, there's all of that. But you're starting a new chapter…full of love, full of connection, full of joy, full of happiness.”
Although she did not share the post that published the headline, she said: “I need society and anyone who writes these stupid headlines to stop scaring people, stop scaring people into believing that just because they're diagnosed with some kind of neurocognitive disease, that it's… What they will do.” “It's over.”
“There is so much beauty and emotion in this story,” she said in her caption, adding: “People who have not taken the time to properly educate themselves about any type of neurocognitive disease.”
Frontotemporal dementia, known as FTD, is an “umbrella term” for a group of brain disorders that affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain and are generally associated with personality, behavior and language, according to the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms range from drastic personality changes to loss of language ability.
Although there is no cure for frontotemporal dementia, medications can improve quality of life, according to the National Institute on Aging.
Hemming Willis spoke on NBC's “TODAY” show last fall about how her family is coping with Willis' diagnosis.
“What I'm learning is that dementia is hard. It's hard on the person who's diagnosed, and it's also hard on the family. It's no different for Bruce, or me or our girls,” she said at the time.
The couple has two young daughters. Bruce Willis (68 years old) has three adult daughters from his first wife, Demi Moore.
