Emma Heming Willis isn’t backing down. After an emotional ABC special aired, people started talking about her husband, Bruce Willis, living in a separate home nearby. Now, Emma is hitting back at those who judge her family’s unique situation as Bruce battles frontotemporal dementia.
“The special did a great job showing what FTD is,” Emma, 47, shared in an Instagram video posted on Friday, August 29. She knew sharing private family details would bring out two types of people: those with opinions and those with real experience. Emma noticed that many comments were quick to “judge the caregiver.” She pointed out that people with “just an opinion” often don’t truly understand what it’s like.
A Closer Look at Bruce’s Journey
The show, called “Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey – A Diane Sawyer Special,” updated fans on Bruce, 70. He was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2022. After the special aired on Tuesday, August 26, Emma faced criticism. This came after she revealed Bruce had moved into a second house where he gets 24-hour care.
In her recent video, Emma mentioned that watching the Diane Sawyer special made her revisit her upcoming book. It’s titled “The Unexpected Journey — Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path” and will be released on September 9. She read an important part from it, giving credit to her therapist, Kathleen Murphy. “Everyone will have an opinion,” the book states, “but remember, most don’t have the experience to back it up.” The passage adds, “If that’s the case, they shouldn’t share their opinion, and you shouldn’t listen to it.”
The book also reminds readers, “They are not in your house, so they don’t know how your person acts or what your family’s dynamic is like.” Emma takes this message seriously, especially when others question her decisions during Bruce’s health struggles. “Opinions are so loud and strong,” she said in her video. “But if they haven’t lived this experience, they have no right to an opinion, and definitely not to decide.”
Emma also wrote a caption for her Instagram post. She explained that caregivers often get judged unfairly by people who haven’t walked in their shoes. Sharing openly might invite opinions, she noted, but it also helps create connections and understanding for those who truly face the daily challenges of caregiving. “For them I share and so I can build a deeper connection with a community that understands this path 💙,” she wrote.
Family Rallies Around Bruce
Support quickly poured in, including a heartfelt message from Bruce’s older daughter, Tallulah Willis. “I love you so much. We love you so much. Thank you for all that you do for us and for our family,” Tallulah, 31, commented.
Bruce has three daughters, Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, with his ex-wife Demi Moore. Demi has always been a big supporter of the “Die Hard” and “Pulp Fiction” actor. Bruce also has two younger daughters, Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11, with Emma, whom he married in 2009.
When Bruce was diagnosed with dementia in 2022, leading him to retire from acting, his family united to support him. The Tuesday special offered a rare glimpse into how this illness has changed their lives. It showed that Bruce is “still very mobile,” but his ability to speak has been affected.
To give Bruce the best care for his changing condition, Emma explained that a team of professionals looks after him in his second home. This house is not far from where Emma lives with their two young daughters.
This separate arrangement improves Bruce’s quality of life. Emma shared in the special that people with frontotemporal dementia can be sensitive to noise. This is hard to avoid with two small children at home. “It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make so far,” she admitted. “But I knew, above all else, that Bruce would want that for our girls. He would want them to be in a home more suited to their needs, not his.”
Even though Emma and their daughters don’t live full-time with Bruce, they visit often and keep their things at his house. “It’s a house full of love, warmth, care, and laughter,” she told Diane Sawyer, 79.
Emma also shared in the special that she felt “so alone” and “so isolated” after Bruce’s diagnosis. This led her into a depression. She has since sought help and now focuses on helping to “raise awareness about this disease” that Bruce faces daily.
“We want people to be diagnosed earlier,” Emma said. This would allow them to join important research trials. She hopes people will remember “the rare disease Bruce Willis has” and feel less alone in their own search for answers.