The Tragedy Of Bruce Willis' Wife Emma Heming Willis Is So Sad

There's no question that life has changed for Emma Heming Willis since Bruce Willis' devastating diagnoses, first with aphasia and then frontotemporal dementia. However, she hasn't shied away from opening up about the journey — and tragic as it's been, she's determined to look for the positives wherever she can. 

We'll start with Bruce's first diagnosis. As fans of the "Die Hard" star will likely remember, the actor's wife, ex-wife, and children announced in a joint statement that he'd been diagnosed with aphasia in March 2022. There's no doubt it was a heartbreaking time for everyone in their extended brood, but the timing was particularly sad for Emma, as she and Bruce had celebrated their 13-year anniversary just days prior. 

A few months after the statement was released, Emma took to Instagram to acknowledge that she'd been grieving the diagnosis. "My grief can be paralyzing but I'm learning how to live alongside it," she wrote. Emma added that she'd done a lot over the summer to keep her mind off the sadness, noting that she'd tried her hand at a bunch of new hobbies and continued to move her body. As for the grief, she shared that Scout Willis, one of Bruce's daughters with Demi Moore, had given her a pearl of wisdom she liked to keep in mind. "Grief is the deepest and purest form of love," she recounted Scout telling her.

Just 10 months after Bruce Willis' family announced his aphasia diagnosis, they shared a heartbreaking update. "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," read an updated statement released by Emma Heming Willis on Instagram (as well as those of the rest of the family). 

In addition to the Instagram note, Emma and the extended family also gave a statement to The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, acknowledging that there was no known cure for the disease but that they were committed to raising awareness, knowing that it was what Bruce would do if he were able. Sure enough, that's exactly what Emma has done. Her Instagram is filled with updates on her efforts, including interviews with experts on FTD. She also shares updates on getting a national FTD registry established and shout-outs to those raising awareness in their own capacity. 

Despite her efforts, Emma has also made a point of keeping it real in regards to how she's coping with Bruce's disease, even admitting that she was "not good" amid her husband's dementia struggle. As she pointed out in one Instagram video, "I don't want to be misconstrued that, like, I'm good. 'Cause I'm not." However, she added that she was doing what she could to fill her own cup so that she'd be able to show up for her loved ones during such a difficult time.

No one wants to hear that a loved one has a serious health issue, and Emma Heming Willis is no exception. That said, in an interview on "Today," she explained that the benefit of knowing Bruce Willis had frontotemporal dementia was that she was able to accept what was happening and take it from there. 

In the touching joint interview with the CEO of The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, Emma's voice broke as she explained her mixed feelings about her husband's diagnosis. "I think it was the blessing and the curse. You know, to sort of finally understand what was happening — so that I could be into the acceptance of what is. It doesn't make it any less painful, but just being in the acceptance ... and just being in the know of what is happening to Bruce just makes it a little bit easier," she told Hoda Kotb.

It was a similar sentiment to what had been shared in the initial statement for The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration's website. That had seen Bruce's wife, ex-wife, and daughters note that while they were crushed by the news, they were glad to know what the actor was facing — even if the FTD diagnosis came with grim realities. 

While Bruce Willis and his family have received an outpouring of love in the wake of both his diagnoses, there have also been a few times the press overstepped. And, as her husband's biggest advocate, Emma Heming Willis has needed to step in. 

For instance, there was the time the paparazzi got too close to Bruce for comfort, prompting Emma to implore them to leave him alone. In an Instagram video, Emma explained that Bruce and two friends had gone out for coffee when paparazzi spotted him and began taking pictures and videos of him. The photographers also shouted out to him, but while they were praising the actor, Emma explained how overwhelming the situation could be for Bruce and his caregivers. As such, she asked, "Just keep your space. I know this is your job, but maybe just keep your space ... please don't be yelling at my husband, asking him how he's doing, or whatever, the 'Woohooing' and the 'Yippee-kay-ays' — just don't do it." A pretty classy request, given the situation at hand. 

Unfortunately, however, that wasn't the only time she'd have to deal with the press overstepping during Bruce's illness. Around the same time, an unnamed insider told Radar that Demi Moore had moved in with Bruce and Emma so that she could help out more. Moore and Emma do have a tight relationship, so moving in certainly might benefit the situation — if it were true. However, Emma wasted no time slamming the claim as a complete fabrication. In an Instagram Story that featured a screenshot of the headline, Emma wrote, "Let's nip this one in the bud. This is so dumb. Please stop," according to the Daily Mail. 

Sadly, even with her past requests to the media to share accurate information, false headlines about Bruce Willis still pop up — and Emma Heming Willis has admitted to falling for them herself, on occasion. 

In one instance, Emma called out a headline that claimed there was no more joy in Bruce's life. Unsurprisingly, Emma was unimpressed, and not just because it personally affected her. In an Instagram video, she explained that headlines like that would scare anyone whose family member had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. "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 ... nothing else to see here, we're done. No. It is the complete opposite of that," she said. 

Emma went on to add that despite the challenges, Bruce's life in the two years after his dementia diagnosis had also been filled with joy. It was a sentiment she'd shared a few months prior in an interview with Maria Shriver's Sunday Paper. "I have hope in how our entire family can find joy in the small things, and in coming together to celebrate all the moments life has to offer," she'd told the outlet. Sure enough, a few weeks after the interview was published, Emma shared a snap of the extended family celebrating Thanksgiving with Bruce. 

While Bruce Willis' health has understandably been front and center since his diagnosis, it does bear mentioning that Emma Heming Willis has also been very open about her own health concerns over the years. 

Back in 2016, while promoting her natural body care line CocoBaba in Germany, Emma dropped into the Dreamball cancer fundraiser. In a red-carpet interview with TIKonline, Emma explained that she'd been excited when she realized her schedule would allow her to attend. "My family has been struck by cancer numerous times, so it's something that is close to home," she shared before delving into the importance of support for those with cancer. Though Emma didn't go into detail as to who in her family had had cancer, she did share in a 2017 post on her eponymous blog that it ran in her mom's side of the family. As such, she explained in the post, "I wouldn't say I'm paranoid or a hypochondriac but just nervous when I feel something that I sense could be a lump or mass given my genetic disposition to breast cancer." She also gave a shout-out to a cancer patient who shared her story, reminding everyone that cancer can affect anyone, even those without a family history of the disease.

Whether it's been her husband's health concerns or her own, Emma has always been a fierce advocate for greater awareness. And, even when incorrect reports have hurt her personally, she's always been gracious in how she's called it out. We're wishing her the best and sending the entire Willis brood a lot of love.