Tallulah Willis Noticed Early Signs Of Her Dad Bruce's Dementia Diagnosis

Bruce Willis' family revealed that the "Die Hard" actor was diagnosed with aphasia in 2022 and was forced to take a step back from work. The announcement came by way of an Instagram post that was shared by some of Willis' family members. "Our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities. As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him," the family's statement read. They added that it's been a "really challenging time" but were doing their best to ensure that Willis was getting the best care. According to the Mayo Clinic, patients who are diagnosed with aphasia have trouble communicating. 

When Willis was in the early stages of the disorder, his daughter Tallulah Willis said she noticed some signs that something wasn't quite right with her dad. "I've known that something was wrong for a long time," Tallulah said in a post that she wrote for Vogue. "It started out with a kind of vague unresponsiveness, which the family chalked up to Hollywood hearing loss: 'Speak up! Die Hard messed with Dad's ears.' Later that unresponsiveness broadened, and I sometimes took it personally," she explained. Bruce has made a handful of appearances on social media since his diagnosis, but his condition is worsening. 

Back in February, Bruce Willis' family offered the public another update on his health. "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," read a statement shared on Rumer Willis' Instagram feed.

In her Vogue article, Tallulah Willis opened up about her personal struggles with her mental health and admitted that she hasn't been in a good place when learning about her father's diagnosis. "I admit that I have met Bruce's decline in recent years with a share of avoidance and denial that I'm not proud of. The truth is that I was too sick myself to handle it. For the last four years, I have suffered from anorexia nervosa," she explained. She shared that she is doing better post-treatment, but also acknowledges that she's having a tough time losing her dad little by little. "I keep flipping between the present and the past when I talk about Bruce: he is, he was, he is, he was. That's because I have hopes for my father that I'm so reluctant to let go of," she wrote.

As Bruce Willis moves through this new phase of life, he has the full support of his family, including his wife, Emma Heming Willis, their two daughters, his ex-wife, Demi Moore, and their three daughters. On June 18, Willis celebrated Father's Day with his kids — and with his new granddaughter, Louetta, whom Rumer Willis welcomed in April. "Seeing my father hold my daughter today was something I will treasure for the rest of my life. His sweetness and love for her was so pure and beautiful. Papa I'm so lucky to have you and so is Lou. Thank you for being the silliest, most loving, coolest Daddio a girl could ask for. Best Girl Dad in the game," Rumer captioned an Instagram post.

Meanwhile, Tallulah Willis has been capturing memories of her dad, too. "Every time I go to my dad's house, I take tons of photos — of whatever I see, the state of things. I'm like an archaeologist, searching for treasure in stuff that I never used to pay much attention to. I have every voicemail from him saved on a hard drive. I find that I'm trying to document, to build a record for the day when he isn't there to remind me of him and of us," she wrote in her article for Vogue.

Bruce Willis' career may have been cut short due to his health issues, but he had already achieved great success as an actor as evidenced by the dozens of award nominations (and wins) he's earned. On July 16, Emma Heming Willis took to Instagram to share a video of her husband visiting the set of "Die Hard" with the couple's twins. "Back in 2018 (when these videos and pictures were taken) we took Mabel and Evelyn to the Fox lot to peek at the archives as well as see the larger-than-life mural of their dad. This mural was unveiled in front of Bruce back in 2013 to commemorate Die Hard's 25th anniversary. Today marks Die Hard's 35th anniversary when it hit the screens and the rest is history. What Bruce has been able to accomplish in his career will never be lost on us. We are so proud of him," Heming Willis captioned the post.

In the comments section, Tallulah expressed her appreciation for her dad. "So so so proud. I love him so much. My papa icon," she wrote. "Happy 35th Johnny Boy, maybe you can come out [to] the coast, have a few laughs," she added, quoting one of the most recognizable lines from the film. We're sure that Willis' family often tells him just how grateful they are to have him in their lives, even if things aren't the same as they once were.