US actress Demi Moore said her ex-husband Bruce Willis is in a “very stable place at the moment” after he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
Die Hard star Willis, 69, was married to Ghost actress Moore for 13 years and the couple share three daughters – Rumer, Scout and Tallulah.
Despite separating in 2000, the acting duo remained friends and Willis went on to marry actress Emma Heming Willis in 2009, having two more daughters Mabel and Evelyn.
“Given the givens, [Bruce Willis] is in a very stable place at the moment,” says Demi Moore, who was previously married to him. “It’s very difficult and not what I would wish upon anyone, and there is great loss – but there’s also great beauty and gifts that can come out of it.” pic.twitter.com/SVOiDsg6Fj
— Christiane Amanpour (@amanpour) December 5, 2024
It was first revealed in March 2022 that Willis had been diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder that affects communication abilities. Last year, his daughter Rumer confirmed Willis had received a “more specific” diagnosis of FTD.
Giving an update on Willis’ condition during an interview with British journalist Christiane Amanpour on US outlet CNN, Moore said: “Given the givens, he’s in a very stable place at the moment.
“I’ve shared this before, but I really mean this so sincerely, it’s so important for anybody who’s dealing with this to really meet them where they’re at, and from that place, there is such loving and joy.
“I mean, obviously it’s very difficult, and it’s not what I would wish upon anyone and there is great loss, but there is also great beauty and gifts that can come out of it.
FTD is an umbrella term for a group of dementias which mainly affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, which are responsible for such things as personality, behaviour, language and speech, according to Dementia UK.
Willis – best known for films such as Die Hard, The Sixth Sense and Pulp Fiction – stepped away from his acting career amid his health struggles.
On remaining a family unit despite her separation with Willis, Moore added: “That has been very important to me, even from when Bruce and I separated and divorced, is the recognition that we’re a family and we’ll always be a family, just in a different form.
“And that form may evolve and change, and there is a way in which we can all be in that form.
“I’m grateful because it’s not just me. It has to require everybody to be coming together, and it’s lovely. I’m really so grateful.”
