Bruce Willis’s wife, Emma Heming Willis, is sharing a video and a thoughtful message after a video was captured of Bruce getting coffee with friends.
“Okay, excuse my appearance; it’s a Saturday. I just woke up. So in service of raising awareness around dementia because that is my goal. If you are someone that is looking after someone with dementia, you know how difficult and stressful it can be to get someone out into the world and just to navigate them safely. Even just to get a cup of coffee. And I’m just seeing headlines, and there’s a video of my husband out, getting some coffee with some friends that did a stand-up job protecting him,” Heming explained before getting emotional and pausing the video.
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After collecting herself, Heming continued, saying, “So in the spirit of raising awareness around dementia, it’s clear that there is still a lot of education that needs to be put forth. So this one is going out to the photographers and the video people that are trying to get those exclusives of my husband out and about; just keep your space. I know this is your job, but maybe just keep your space.”
“For the video people, just don’t be yelling at my husband, asking him how he is doing, or the woohooing, and yippee kiayees. Just don’t do it. Okay. Give him his space. Allow for our family or whoever is with him that day to be able to get him from point A to point B safely. That’s my PSA.”
The video has already garnered thousands of views, with so many praising Heming for her graciousness. One commenter wrote, “You are incredibly gracious in the delivery of this message. It’s about keeping our loved ones with dementia safe and able to have the joy we all find in the simple things in life, like going with our friends to get a cup of coffee. Thank you for your eloquent response. Keeping you in my thoughts, prayers, and heart.”
As Mamas Uncut previously reported, in an update on Bruce Willis’s health battle, Heming Willis revealed on February 16, Bruce’s condition has devastatingly progressed.
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“Our family wanted to start by expressing our deepest gratitude for the incredible outpouring of love, support, and wonderful stories we have all received since sharing Bruce’s original diagnosis,” Emma began her statement.
“In the spirit of that, we wanted to give you an update about our beloved husband, father, and friend since we now have a deeper understanding of what he is experiencing.” As Mamas Uncut previously updated, Bruce and his family first revealed he was diagnosed with aphasia in 2022.
As a result of the diagnosis and its symptoms, Bruce made the difficult decision to step away from acting. Now, as Emma explained in her statement, Bruce has received a new diagnosis.
“Since we announced Bruce’s diagnosis of aphasia in spring 2022, Bruce’s condition has progressed, and we now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia (known as FTD). Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces. While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis.”
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As the statement continued, the Willis and Moore family described FTD as “a cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and can strike anyone. For people under 60, FTD is the most common form of dementia, and because getting the diagnosis can take years, FTD is likely much more prevalent than we know.”
“Today there are no treatments for the disease, a reality that we hope can change in the years ahead. As Bruce’s condition advances, we hope that any media attention can be focused on shining a light on this disease that needs far more awareness and research.”
And that’s exactly what Bruce would do with his own voice if he could. “Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately. We know in our hearts that – if he could today — he would want to respond by bringing global attention and a connectedness with those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it impacts so many individuals and their families.”
Truly devastating. Our thoughts and prayers are with Bruce and his family as they continue to navigate through this heartbreaking diagnosis.