Topics: Celebrity, Demi Moore, Health, Mental Health, News, Podcasts, Bruce Willis
Demi Moore has made one thing clear following her ex-husband Bruce Willis' dementia diagnosis - she's supporting his wife Emma all the way.
For those who need a reminder, the family of the Die Hard actor, 70, shared the sad news that he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in February 2023.
As per the NHS website, FTD is an uncommon type of dementia that affects the front and sides of the brain and causes problems with behaviour and language.
FTD starts at a younger age and like other types of dementia, it tends to develop slowly and get gradually worse over several years.
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This diagnosis came less than a year after it was shared that Willis had aphasia - a different health condition that makes it difficult to communicate.
To raise awareness of frontotemporal dementia as well as the difficulties that caretakers face, Willis' wife Emma Heming Willis sat down with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America on Tuesday (26 August) to be interviewed for a one-off special called Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey.
The pair got married back in 2009 and share two daughters together - Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11.
However, she sadly faced backlash after talking about the choice to move Willis into his own home - a second, one-storey home where he could receive around-the-clock care.
This was for a slew of reasons such as noise could cause Willis agitation and it was difficult to have people over meaning the whole family became 'isolated'.
She outlined that the couple still had breakfast and dinner together every day and Willis' house was like a second home for the family.
In the interview, Emma explained: "I knew, first and foremost, Bruce would want that for our daughters. He would want them to be in a home that was more tailored to their needs, not his needs."
She added: "We’re there a lot. It’s our second home, so the girls have their things there.
"It is, you know, a house that is filled with love and warmth and care and laughter. It's been beautiful to see that, to see how many of Bruce’s friends continue to show up for him, you know, they bring in life and fun."
Willis also has three adult daughters with his ex-wife Moore, whom he was married to from 1987 until their divorce was finalised in 2000 - Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31.
And The Substance actress has made it clear that she's fully behind Emma, making sure to defend the choices that have been made for her ex-husband.
In a new episode of Oprah Winfrey's podcast, The Oprah Podcast, which was released on Tuesday (2 September), Moore said she has 'so much compassion' for Emma.
She explained: "So much fell on Emma to really figure this whole thing out, and the most beautiful thing was recognising the importance for caregivers and that they have to take care of themselves.
"If they don’t put that time into making sure that they’re okay, then they can’t show up for anyone else."
Moore continued: "I have so much compassion for Emma in this, being a young woman. There’s no way that anybody could have anticipated where this was going to go, and I really think she’s done a masterful job.
"She has been so dedicated to forging the right path. She’s had equal amounts of fear and strength and courage in navigating this."
In the GMA episode, Emma also opened up on the 'moments' when Willis is 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."
Discussing when things first began to change, Emma explained: "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."
