Emma Heming gave a candid and emotional update on her husband Bruce Willis’ declining health following his diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia. The activist, who shares her daughters Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11, with the Die Hard star, spoke to Diane Sawyer for the ABC News special Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey, about how the family have been grappling with Bruce’s health battle. Emma revealed in the interview that their family was forced to make the devastating decision to move him out of their home and into an abode more suited to his needs.
“It was one of the hardest decisions that I’ve had to make so far,” the mother of two explained in the interview. “But I knew, first and foremost, Bruce would want that for our daughters. You know, he would want them to be in a home that was more tailored to their needs, not his needs.” Their “second home” was converted into a more comfortable and quieter space for Bruce, making it easier for him to navigate.
© Getty Images“When we go over, either we’re outside, or we’re watching a movie…it’s just really about being able to be there, and connect with Bruce,” she continued. “It is a house that is filled with love, and warmth, and care, and laughter. And it’s been beautiful to see that, to see how many of Bruce’s friends continue to show up for him, and they bring in life, and fun.”
© Stefanie KeenanEmma and Bruce have been married for 16 years and have done an incredible job of keeping their blended family together. The 70-year-old was married to Demi Moore from 1987 to 2000, and the duo welcomed daughters Rumer, Scout and Tallulah Willis together. Emma is close with both Demi and her three stepdaughters, and even celebrated her birthday with them in June. She revealed in the interview that it was actually Scout who raised the alarm when the former model was struggling with her own mental health.
© Gilbert FloresThe author explained that while she was trying to grapple with Bruce’s diagnosis and parent their two young daughters, she wasn’t receiving the professional support that she needed. Scout then candidly told her that she was more worried about her than she was about Bruce. “I’ll never forget when Scout said that to me. And I thought, ‘Wow. Okay. I am losing it. I need to really get myself together here,'” she recounted, adding that she then sought help for her depression and hired full-time caregivers for her husband.
© InstagramEmma’s new book, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, is set for a September 9 release, and aims to help other caregivers find support on their own journeys. “That is this whole motivation for me to raise awareness about this disease, because we want families, we want people to be able to be diagnosed earlier, when they can participate in these trials,” she shared, adding that she wanted other caregivers to feel seen and heard.
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