Bruce Willis’ wife has provided an update on the actor’s health following claims that he is living ‘without joy’ after being diagnosed with dementia.
Emma Heming said she wanted to expose misleading narratives about her husband’s life after being “clickbaited” by a family-related headline.
Heming stated that the action actor continues to enjoy a life of “love, connection, joy, and happiness” despite his diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia.
Bruce Willis’ wife has provided an update on the actor’s health following claims that he is living ‘without joy’ after being diagnosed with dementia.
Emma Heming said she wanted to expose misleading narratives about her husband’s life after being “clickbaited” by a family-related headline.
Heming stated that the action actor continues to enjoy a life of “love, connection, joy, and happiness” despite his diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia.
FTD is an umbrella term for a group of dementias which mainly affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, which are responsible for such things as personality, behaviour, language and speech, according to Dementia UK.
In a video on Instagram, she said: “The headline basically says there is no more joy in my husband.
“Now, I can just tell you, that is far from the truth.
“I need society – and whoever’s writing these stupid headlines – to stop scaring people.
“Stop scaring people to think that once they get a diagnosis of some kind of neurocognitive disease that that’s it. ‘It’s over. Let’s pack it up. We’re — Nothing else to see here. We’re done.’ No. It is the complete opposite of that.”
She added: “There is grief and sadness. There’s all of that. But you start a new chapter.”
Heming said that chapter is filled “with love, it’s filled with connection, it’s filled with joy, it’s filled with happiness”.
“That’s where we are. So stop with these stupid headlines. These stupid clickbait-y things that freak people out. Stop doing that. There’s nothing to see here, ok?”
In a caption on the post, she added: “My experience is that two things can be true and exist at the same time. Grief and deep love. Sadness and deep connection. Trauma and resilience.
“I had to get out of my own way to get here but once I arrived, life really started to come together with meaning and I had a true sense of purpose. There is so much beauty and soulfulness in this story.”
It was first revealed in March 2022 that Willis had been diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder that affects communication abilities.
Last year, Willis’ daughter Rumer issued an update, stating that he had obtained a “more specific” diagnosis of FTD.
Willis is most recognized for his roles in Die Hard, The Sixth Sense, and Pulp Fiction, although he has taken a break from performing due to health issues.
According to Dementia UK, there is no treatment or prevention for FTD, thus it is typically preferable to “focus on practical strategies to help the person live as well as possible with the diagnosis”.
Willis’ family stated that the lack of treatment for the cancer is “a reality that we hope can change in the years ahead” with additional study.
