Overview
- In an Instagram Q&A this week, Rumer Willis said her father is "doing OK in terms of somebody who’s dealing with frontotemporal dementia," while noting that "anybody with FTD is not doing great."
- She shared that Bruce Willis sometimes does not recognize her, yet she is grateful for hugs, the ability to feel mutual love, and occasional sparks of his personality.
- The family said in 2022 that Bruce would retire after an aphasia diagnosis, and in 2023 they confirmed his condition had progressed to frontotemporal dementia.
- Bruce now lives in a nearby residence with 24/7 care; wife Emma Heming Willis has called the move one of her hardest decisions and says the arrangement supports their daughters and keeps the family connected.
- Relatives describe adapting communication as language declines, reflecting the progressive, incurable nature of FTD, which primarily affects behavior and language.