Bruce Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis, has shared an emotional update on the legendary actor’s battle with frontotemporal dementia, revealing how his condition has progressed and the impact it has had on their family. In a preview of her interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC, Emma opened up about the 70-year-old star’s health and described the heartbreaking changes that began years before his diagnosis.

Bruce, who was officially diagnosed with aphasia in 2022 and then frontotemporal dementia in 2023, is still in good physical condition, but his wife made it clear that his brain is failing him. “Bruce is still very mobile, Bruce is in really great health overall,” Emma explained, before adding softly, “It’s just his brain that is failing him.” She revealed that his ability to use language has declined significantly, saying, “His language is going,” and shared how the family has learned to adapt by communicating with him in different ways. Emma and Bruce, who married in 2009 and share two daughters, Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11, have worked to maintain connection despite the illness.

When Sawyer asked if there are moments where Bruce feels like his old self again, Emma admitted, “We still get those days. Not days, but we get moments.” She described how his hearty laugh, a twinkle in his eye, or a signature smirk can suddenly transport her back to the man she knew before the disease took hold. Fighting back tears, Emma confessed how difficult it is to experience those flashes of her husband’s personality, only to see them fade quickly. “It’s just hard to see, because as quickly as those moments appear, then it goes. It’s hard,” she said, before adding, “But I’m grateful. I’m grateful that my husband is still very much here.” She also reflected on the day they received his diagnosis, recalling the shock and fear she felt when doctors told them he had a condition she could barely pronounce.

“To leave there with nothing, just nothing, with a diagnosis I couldn’t pronounce, I couldn’t understand what it was. I was so panicked. I remember hearing it and not hearing anything else. I was free falling,” she said, admitting that she doesn’t think Bruce himself ever fully connected the dots about his illness. Emma also spoke about the subtle signs that first appeared before his diagnosis. For someone who had always been engaging and talkative, Bruce began to grow more withdrawn.

She described how he became quiet during family gatherings and seemed to melt into the background rather than being his usual warm and affectionate self. “It felt a little removed, very cold, not like Bruce, who was very warm and affectionate. To go the complete opposite of that was alarming and scary,” she recalled. These early symptoms eventually led to his aphasia diagnosis, which prompted his retirement from acting in 2022. Just a year later, the family revealed he was battling frontotemporal dementia, a cruel disease that not only affects communication but can drastically alter behavior and personality. His ex-wife Demi Moore and their daughters Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31, have all rallied around Bruce since his diagnosis.

In a joint statement at the time, the family said, “While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis. FTD is a cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and can strike anyone.” Since then, updates from his loved ones have provided glimpses into his condition. In September, his daughter Tallulah appeared on Today and explained that her father was “stable, which, in this situation, is good.” Demi Moore has also spoken about her commitment to supporting both Bruce and Emma, telling Variety earlier this year that she visits her ex-husband weekly. “For me, there was never a question.

I show up because that’s what you do for the people you love,” she said. Emma has also taken her journey as a caregiver and turned it into a book, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, set for release on September 9. In it, she shares her personal struggles and the lessons she has learned as she navigates the challenges of caring for a loved one with a degenerative brain disease. For Emma, the experience has been both devastating and grounding. Though she acknowledges the profound loss of watching her husband’s mind slip away, she remains grateful for the time they still have together and the fleeting moments when the old Bruce shines through.

Her honesty underscores the difficult reality many families face when dealing with dementia, where love, patience, and adaptation become daily acts of survival. Bruce Willis’ battle with frontotemporal dementia has deeply touched his fans around the world, who have followed his career from action hero to devoted father and husband. Now, as his family continues to adapt to life with his diagnosis, Emma’s heartfelt words serve as both a reminder of the cruelty of the disease and a testament to enduring love in the face of heartbreaking challenges.