Bruce Willis' wife shares how he continued acting after dementia diagnosis
Bruce Willis' family have rallied around him since the Die Hard actor was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in February 2023, and his wife has now opened up about his work
Bruce Willis' wife, Emma Heming Willis, is shedding light on how the Hollywood icon managed to continue working on set even after his health started deteriorating because of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). In her upcoming book The Unexpected Journey, which is set to be released on September 9, 2025, Emma shares intimate details about the measures that were taken to keep Bruce in front of the camera while his cognitive abilities declined.
According to reports, some of the tactics directors used included shortening his dialogue and feeding him lines via an earpiece, which was discreetly operated by a close friend on set.
These behind-the-scenes accommodations allowed the Die Hard legend to complete roles in films like Assassin (2023) and the Detective Knight trilogy (2022–2023), even though he was being increasingly impacted by FTD, which is a degenerative disease that affects cognition and speech
Willis's diagnosis was first made public in 2022 when his family announced he was suffering from a language disorder called aphasia. In February 2023, they confirmed the condition had progressed into FTD. Since then, Bruce has stepped away from acting.
Emma told fans on Instagram that she wrote her book to help other families facing similar situations. She shared: "I really wrote the book that I wish someone had handed me the day we got our diagnosis with no hope, no direction … not much. Today life looks different for me and our family because I was able to put support into place.
"This isn't a memoir, it's a self-help guide for caregivers, written to hold space for our heartbreak and our healing." During Bruce's final years of working, directors began to alter his roles so that he would be able to make it through shooting.
In a 2020 email, Out of Death director Mike Burns asked writers to "abbreviate his [Willis'] dialogue so that there are no monologues".
The actor's shooting schedules were also adjusted so that his workdays were limited to four hours when possible, and he did not film for more than two consecutive days.
On set, crew members noticed that Bruce seemed confused and often struggled to remember lines or his purpose in a scene. They were particularly troubled by one moment during White Elephant, when he reportedly asked, "I know why you're here, and I know why you're here, but why am I here?"
Despite the challenges, some collaborators still held high opinions of his work. Paradise City director Chuck Russell praised Bruce's efforts, saying he "brought his A-game". But others, like White Elephant production supervisor Terri Martin, said, "He just looked so lost… He always tried his best."
Emma has reflected on the early days of Bruce's condition developing, sharing: "As his language started changing, it [seemed like it] was just a part of a stutter, it was just Bruce. Never in a million years would I think it would be a form of dementia for someone so young."
Bruce's children have opened up about the emotional effect his diagnosis had on them, with his daughter Tallulah in particular admitting the seriousness of his situation hit home to her when she imagined her wedding day and realised her father would no longer be able to deliver a speech.
"It was devastating," she sighed. "I left the dinner table, stepped outside, and wept in the bushes." Despite that heart breaking realisation, Tallulah added: "There's painful days, but there's so much love."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
2 days ago
- Powys County Times
Powys florist hiding bouquets as quirky treat for public
A Powys flower grower has been leaving hidden bouquets in beauty spots around the county for people to pick up as part of British Flower Week. Emma Maxwell of Welsh Flower Barrow has been celebrating British Flower Week by dropping off a series of bouquets in Powys towns, such as Machynlleth and Llanidloes, leaving clues on social media for people to find them. She said: 'British Flower Week is designed to promote UK grown flowers, which there has been a bit of a resurgence in of recent years. READ MORE 'I dabbled in the idea five years ago and trialled it with Welsh Horticultural, but then last year British Flower Week it coincided with the launch of Welsh Flower Barrow and seemed like a good opportunity to create a bit of publicity and do something fun and different in the summer.' The bouquets, each made up of Welsh-grown flowers, are dropped off by Emma and colleagues in a Powys town at a quiet time of day. Afterwards she leaves clues on the Flower Barrow Facebook page to give people the chance to find the bouquet. She added: 'We place them at each spot during different times of the day, ideally when it's not busy. We tend to pick spots based on errands we're already running or deliveries we're already making, then drop them off. 'It has to be a spot that's quiet so as not to be spotted but also enticing enough that people might go over and see what it's about. We have a rough idea of what town it will be but have to look for a specific area.' Emma added that she enjoyed the idea of promoting both the flowers and a small spot of Mid Wales with each flower finding mission. 'It gets people talking a little bit,' she said. 'Commenting on the quality of bouquets and the beauty of British flowers as they discuss whatever abstract clue I've put with them. 'It also promotes the area as well and shines a little spotlight on it. "I get so many messages commenting on how beautiful the area the bouquet is in is. It brightens a spot up and complements it really well.'
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Emma Willis says heart condition might continue forever after 'scary' surgery
Emma Willis made a devastating admission as she gave an update following her heart surgery. The 49-year-old presenter underwent keyhole heart surgery after going her whole life not knowing she had a 'hole in her heart'. And now, she has admitted she still has palpitations and might have to deal with it forever. Emma, who is married to Busted singer Matt Willis, revealed the build-up to the operation was "scary" as she explained the procedure to Heart Breakfast's Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden. She told the presenters she had "a little device fitted into my heart to fill a hole that I never knew existed". And when Amanda asked if there had been any side effects, Emma added: "I always had palpitations, but kind of fitting with what was happening in life. "So, if I was a bit stressed or if I'd had a night out. So, I kind of always had them. But for the past couple of years, I've been having them more and more, and they got to a point where it was quite a lot. But I also have really high cholesterol, which is why I was referred to a cardiologist. "So, it wasn't even for that. And then when I got there, he went, 'actually, it's okay, but there is something going on with your heart and I want to check it out." She went on to say that the fluttering has "definitely died down," but revealed they might be there for the rest of her life. "My heart has got to kind of learn how to refunction hole free." Emma first revealed her condition on social media. At the time she wrote: "A few weeks ago, I had keyhole heart surgery, which feels very strange to write, and even stranger when I say it out loud. "From investigations last year, to diagnosis and then surgery, they were absolutely incredible. As was @mattjwillis who never left my side. "Turns out, I've been pottering around for 48 years blissfully unaware I had a hole in my heart [mind blown emoji] isn't it bonkers what's happening in our bodies that we have no idea about…" The presenter added: "What blows my mind even more is the wonders of modern medicine, and the spectacular people that save, fix and help us every single day." She then went on to name the doctors, nurses and patients who helped her through the entire process. She also shared images of her in hospital as fans and friends flocked to the comments section to send well wishes. Among those replying was Charlotte Hawkins, who said: "Oh my goodness, glad all OK! Sending love to you," while Judi Love added: "Oh we give thanks that you had a great team and recovering hun."
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Nothing will ruin my camping trip… I hate couples having noisy sex & get revenge in a sly way, my grandkids cringe
The gran also reveals why her grandkids' play friends during camping trip is another bone of contention WHAT A PITCH Nothing will ruin my camping trip… I hate couples having noisy sex & get revenge in a sly way, my grandkids cringe Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) GOING on holiday with grandparents is a treat many children look forward to, knowing they'll be spoiled rotten with ice creams and round-the-clock attention. But Emma Parsons-Reid isn't your typical sweet granny. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Emma Parsons-Reid blasts campers for hanging their undies out to dry or having noisy sex when on a camping trip with her grandkids Credit: Supplied 5 Emma reveals her grandkids believe that if they survive a camping with their gran, that they'll survive anything Credit: Supplied 5 She brings M&S food for her family to cook at home most of the time, but they might enjoy one meal out Credit: Supplied 'The children always say going camping with me is a rite of passage,' says 58-year-old Emma, from Cardiff. ''If you survive this, you'll survive anything,' is how they look at it.' Emma has exacting standards and has told off fellow campers for having sex within earshot of her grandkids. She even sees red if people hang their knickers outside to dry. 'I'm a nightmare nan 24/7 and that isn't going to change just because we are on holiday,' she warns. 'I don't like people draping underwear outside their tent or caravan. It's awful, so uncouth. 'Pack enough pants for your trip and wash them when you get home – or go to a launderette. 'You don't need pairs of pants hanging in a line like a ship's sail. No one needs to see that. It ruins the holiday photographs.' Camping has soared in popularity in recent years, with the UK camping market now worth £2.83 billion, up from £2.2 billion in 2019. A whopping 42.2 per cent of Brits go camping at least once a year according to the latest statistics. But for camping fan Emma, standards are slipping – and nothing is guaranteed to rile her more than the sound of couples getting frisky under the stars. 'I'm a broken man, but memories made' says RTE's Donal Skehan after dreamy camping trip to Irish coast with family 'People get randy when they go camping,' she says. 'I'm not sure if it's the hot nights or the light evenings – coupled with a few drinks – but I get annoyed if I hear them. 'The girls aren't silly. They know what it sounds like and it's mortifying. I get especially annoyed if the noise is keeping me awake at 2am and they're still going at it.' The next morning, Emma says she takes great pleasure in waking up couples she's heard bonking within earshot of her granddaughters – Elise, 17, Isabella, 15, Scarlett, 13, Lucy, 10, and Ivy, eight – during the night. 'Bang and clatter' 'On my way to the shower block, I'll bang and clatter and make lots of noise so they don't get a lie in. 'On one occasion, when the girls were small, I made them sing a few rounds of Row, Row, Row Your Boat really loudly, just to put a couple off.' It's usually only her two youngest grandchildren that holiday with her now. 'The older ones don't come any more and I think that's a huge relief for them,' says retired civil servant Emma, who favours Welsh coastal resorts like Porthcawl. I get especially annoyed if the noise is keeping me awake at 2am and they're still going at it 'When they talk about camping with 'Nooney', which is what they all call me, it is like they are telling a survivor's story. 5 Emma, above with a head torch, has told off fellow campers Credit: Supplied 'The two youngest get very embarrassed. You see their faces drop when I march off to tell someone off, or start complaining about the state of the site to the manager.' Emma reads fellow campers the riot act if they make noise after 10pm – and hates fire pits and barbecues. 'I don't care if they get annoyed. Looking after the grandchildren can be tiring and I just need a good night's sleep,' Emma, who holidays with her grandchildren and husband Kev 64, a retired engineer, to give her own daughter Hannah, 35, a break, says. 'And there is nothing worse than sitting downwind from someone's barbecue smoke. I don't want to get a whiff of other people's smelly sausages.' Emma packs M&S food for her family, often enjoying French sticks, ham and salad. 'Why can't we go back to how it was in the 1970s, when everyone was polite and followed some camping etiquette?' says Emma, who refuses to spoil the children with ice creams or seaside souvenirs. 'They love going into the shops, but they're full of plastic tat and I won't allow it in my tent. 'Awful' 'If they want to buy something and I think it's decent enough, I'll allow it, but I'll make them do some chores first – maybe the washing up. I'm very tight and I work to a budget. 'And they eat enough rubbish without me buying them ice creams every day. We might have one meal out, but I'll cook the rest of the time.' On one occasion, Emma suffered a slipped disc and carried a pink lilo with her everywhere, so she could lie down – much to the embarrassment of the grandkids. 'The pain was awful,' she recalls. 'We'd only just arrived and I didn't want to cut the holiday short, so I carried this everywhere we went so I could lie down on it. I couldn't sit down, I had to lie down – even in restaurants and at the arcades. 'Everyone looked at me like I was insane and the kids were embarrassed. 'On one occasion, they made some friends who were asking them why their nan was always lying down on the lilo. They hated having to explain it every time.' Who the kids play with is another bone of contention whenever they're away. 'I don't let them play with just anybody,' Emma says. 'If they meet someone, I'll go round to check out the family's tent and make sure they are appropriate. 'If they are in a caravan or a campervan I'm usually OK with that, but I will have to walk past to assess the family. If they are drinking a lot, or if there are cans lying around or knickers hanging out, I'll pull the grandchildren away. You can't be too careful. I have complained a lot, but we've had some fun times 'I certainly wouldn't want them playing with rough kids, or rude children that answer back.' In fact, if Emma's granddaughters fail to find suitable playmates, Emma thinks nothing of recruiting some herself. 'I prefer to choose their friends for them,' she says. "You'll often see me approaching more palatable kids if I see a nice family. 'I'll ask them their names and say they can play with my grandchildren if they like.' Emma often calls out slovenly campers and the state of site facilities. 'If I think someone is being too messy or leaving a lot of litter, I complain,' says Emma. 'I'm always on the phone to the owner. 'The shower blocks are often disgusting, so that is a common complaint. People often leave a mess all around the basin, but the worst is when they forget their pants and leave them hanging over a rail. Disgusting. That would definitely have me marching down to the site office. 'And I can't stand men that go to the showers with their guts falling over the top of their towels, letting it all hang out. ''Morning love,' they go, but I blank them if they are disgusting.' Despite her never-ending complaining, Emma says she and the granddaughters cherish their shared camping trips. 'The kids have the best memories of those times,' she says. "We are planning to go back to Fontygary in the Vale of Glamorgan for three nights in August." 'It's always the nightmares they remember. They'll say: 'Do you remember when Nooney did this or that?' and then fall apart laughing. 'They'll remember me telling someone off for having sex, or when the dog had diarrhoea in the campervan. 'We once parked under an acorn tree and all night the acorns dropped onto the roof keeping us all awake. 'I have complained a lot, but we've had some fun times. The kids ridicule me, but it makes me smile as I know they won't forget me when I'm dead and buried.'
