Tallulah Willis Opens Up About Dad Bruce’s Battle With Dementia
“It’s the same—in this situation, it’s a good thing,” Tallulah Willis told E! News about her father’s condition. “Our visits have so much love and I feel that. That overarches anything for me is being able to have that connection.”
She also spoke exclusively to People: “[He is] doing the same in terms of the last we kind of updated, which I’m told is good. But whatever kind of day it is, my family and I meet him where he’s at.”
In March 2022, his family announced that Bruce Willis was retiring from acting because he had been diagnosed with aphasia. It is a brain disorder that makes it difficult to understand or express speech.
In February 2023, the Willis family posted an update, saying that his condition had progressed into frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
Their statement on the Association for Frontotemporal Dementia’s official website asked for compassion and productive attention from the public and the media: “As Bruce’s condition advances, we hope that any media attention can be focused on shining a light on this disease that needs far more awareness and research. Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others, and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately.”
“We know in our hearts that – if he could today — he would want to respond by bringing global attention and a connectedness with those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it impacts so many individuals and their families,” the statement continues. It was signed by Bruce’s wife, Emma Heming Willis, his ex-wife Demi Moore, and his five daughters, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, and Evelyn.
Bruce Willis Health Updates
Earlier in August, Rumer Willis (35) shared a photo of her and Bruce holding hands on Instagram Stories. This was in response to a fan during a Q&A session on the platform, who asked, “How’s your dad doing? Sending love to all you guys.”
The 35-year-old actress’s reply was, “He is great. I love him so much. Thank you.”
In November 2023, Tallulah (30) also went on The Drew Barrymore show to share updates about her father’s condition and why their family was so open about his diagnosis. “It’s who we are as a family. It’s also really important for us to share awareness about FTD. If we can take something that we’re struggling with as a family and individually—to help other people, to turn it around, to make something beautiful about it—that’s really special for us.”
