Bruce Willis' Health: Everything To Know About His Unexpected Diagnosis

Bruce Willis' family shared an update in February 2023, revealing that the actor's health has deteriorated. He is now facing frontotemporal dementia (FTD), which impacts his communication abilities. This news comes after an earlier announcement about Willis stepping back from acting due to an initial diagnosis of aphasia almost a year ago.

"We're saddened, yet relieved to finally have a clear diagnosis," reads the official statement attributed to wife Emma Heming Willis, ex-wife Demi Moore, and his children Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, and Evelyn. "FTD is a cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and can strike anyone."

FTD, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, involves "a group of disorders where nerve cells in the brain's frontal or temporal lobes gradually die off." This damage affects how the brain functions, leading to changes in behavior, personality, and struggles with speech and communication.

Dr. Jagan Pillai, a neurologist at Cleveland Clinic's Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, said that people with FTD often find it hard to talk, understand speech, and make sense of things.

In August 2023, Bruce's wife, Emma Heming Willis opened up about her challenges in staying positive while caring for her husband.

When asked if her husband was aware of his health situation, Heming Willis replied, "It's hard to know." Accepting his diagnosis has been "painful," she added, but knowing what is happening makes it somewhat easier. She also mentioned that amidst the sadness, it's been "beautiful" to observe their daughters learning traits like "love, patience, and resilience" through caring for their father.

In August 2023, Emma Hemming Willis, shared, "I have to make a conscious effort every single day to live the best life that I can. I do that for myself, our two children, and Bruce, who would not want me to live any other way." Despite her struggles, she emphasized the importance of putting her best foot forward for the sake of herself and her family.

Bruce's daughter, Tallulah Willis wrote in her 'Vogue' essay that Bruce Willis' early signs of dementia included trouble communicating and seeming unresponsive at times. At first, they thought it was just Hollywood-related hearing loss. Later, she worried he was losing interest in her, but she realized that wasn't true.

In January 2024, Willis' ex-wife, Moore, shared advice on caring for a loved one with dementia during an interview on Andy Cohen's SiriusXM show, 'Radio Andy'. “When you let go of who they’ve been, or who you think they are, or who even you would like them to be, you can then really stay in the present and take in the joy and the love that is present and there for all that they are, not all that they’re not,” she said.

Currently, there is no cure for frontotemporal dementia. According to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, individuals with this condition typically live seven to 13 years after diagnosis. Cleveland Clinic estimates around seven and a half years. Sami Barmada, director of the Michigan Brain Bank and associate professor of neurology at the University of Michigan Medicine, told TODAY.com that a prognosis of 10 years or more is seen as positive.