Emma Heming Willis spoke for the first time about how she felt when she learned of her husband Bruce Willis’ dementia diagnosis.
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The actor’s wife was visibly moved as she recalled the moment she found out Willis had been diagnosed with frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), a neurodegenerative disease that causes the loss of cells in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, leading to changes in behavior, language, and executive functions.
“I panicked, and I only remember hearing that and nothing else. It was like I was in free fall…,” she said in an interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer.
In the trailer shared by Heming on Instagram, she appears with Sawyer to talk about Willis’ “unexpected journey,” which is also the title of the book she wrote for people who, like her, face the difficult task of caring for a sick family member.
Speaking about her transition to being Willis’ caregiver, she said: “Those early stages were deeply isolating. I struggled with a sense of helplessness, feeling as though I had no control over what was happening to my family,” she said.
“At the same time, I was battling the pain, the loss of the life I knew, while raising our two little daughters.”
The family decided to make Willis’ diagnosis public, and for Heming, it was the best thing to do: “We were met with kindness and global support,” she said.
“Making it public was the right decision for our family for many reasons: to reduce stigma, to raise awareness, and, for me, to connect with a broader community.”
Images: Instagram @emmahemingwillis. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
