The wife of Hollywood star Bruce Willis has defended her decision to move the 70-year-old,
who has dementia
, out of their family home.
The American actor now lives in a separate home with a full-time care team, British-American model Emma Heming Willis, 47, said in an interview with American television anchor Diane Sawyer on Aug 26. Their two daughters, aged 13 and 11, regularly visit him there, she added.
After receiving backlash online, Heming posted a video on Instagram on Aug 30 as a response to the reactions. “Too often, caregivers are judged quickly and unfairly by those who haven’t lived this journey or stood on the front lines of it,” she wrote in the caption. “Sharing openly may invite opinions, but more importantly, it creates connection and validation for those actually navigating the realities of caregiving every day.”
In 2022, Willis’ family said the actor – famed for action movies such as the Die Hard film franchise (1988 to 2013) – has a language disorder that impairs communication and would be retiring from acting. In 2023, it was confirmed that he has frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a degenerative brain disease and a rare form of dementia.
In the TV interview Emma And Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey – A Diane Sawyer Special, Heming said that moving Willis, whom she married in 2009, out of the family home was “one of the hardest decisions” she has had to make so far.
“But I knew, first and foremost, Bruce would want that for our daughters. He would want them to be in a home that was more tailored to their needs, not his needs.”
She added that while he is mobile and physically healthy, his language abilities are almost gone, and he is not safe alone because his illness affects the parts of the brain that identify and recognise risk.
Heming has also written a book, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, And Yourself On The Caregiving Path, based on her caregiving experiences and insights from experts. It will be out on Sept 9.
Willis was married to actress Demi Moore, 62, from 1987 to 2000. Their daughters are aged 31, 34 and 37.