In a heartbreaking new interview, Emma Heming Willis has lifted the lid on the brutal realities of full-time caring for her husband Bruce Willis amid his frontotemporal dementia diagnosis.
In 2022, the Die Hard actor's family released a statement about his health, revealing he'd been diagnosed with aphasia - a condition that affects a person's communication skills and cognitive abilities.
Then, a year after first confirming he'd be taking a step back from the spotlight, Willis' loved ones went on to add that his diagnosis had sadly progressed, and that the 70-year-old had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
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"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," his wife Emma, 47, and ex Demi Moore, 62, explained in an official statement at the time.
"Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others, and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately."
Since then, Willis' family has made it their aim to raise awareness of the often-overlooked symptoms of the condition, including during an interview that Emma gave to Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America earlier today.
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On the show, the mother-of-two, who shares two daughters, Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 10, with movie star Willis, discussed the slow dissolution of his personality, which she said was famously 'warm' during his early days.
Now and again, Emma told viewers, she and her family have 'moments' where he's back to the man they knew before his diagnosis.
"It's his laugh, right?" she smiled. "He has such a hearty laugh, and sometimes you'll see that twinkle in his eye, or that smirk.
"I just get transported."
Speaking through tears, the model and businesswoman went on to admit: "And it's just hard to see, because as quickly as those moments appear, then it goes."
Recalling when she first observed her husband's personality shifting, she added of his early days with the condition: "For someone who was very talkative and very engaged, he was just a little more quiet. And when the family would get together, he would kind of just melt a little bit."
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Emma said things continued changing as time went on, adding: "He felt a little removed, very cold. Not like Bruce, who is very warm and affectionate. To go in the complete opposite of that was alarming and scary."
Eventually, Willis received his full diagnosis - news that left Emma feeling as though she was 'free-falling'.
"I was so panicked, and I just remember hearing it and just not hearing anything else," she confessed. "It was like I was free-falling."
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Thankfully, however, despite the heartache, Emma added that she's 'grateful' that Willis is 'still very much here'.
"Love is beautiful. It's grand. It's unconditional," she continued. "I'm so lucky to feel the love."
Rhianna Benson