Emma Heming Willis has shared an emotional tribute to her husband Bruce Willis on their 17th anniversary, as he lives with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
The 46-year-old model took to Instagram on Sunday (December 29) to share a throwback picture of her and her husband smiling in the ocean, while on a trip to Turks and Caicos. In the caption, she acknowledged that it’s been 17 years since she and the Die Hard star, 69, started dating and shared her candid feelings about their anniversary.
“Anniversaries used to bring excitement — now, if I’m honest, they stir up all the feelings, leaving a heaviness in my heart and a pit in my stomach,” she wrote, before describing the pain she feels amid her husband’s health condition.
“I give myself 30 minutes to sit in the ‘why him, why us,’ to feel the anger and grief,” she added. “Then I shake it off and return to what is. And what is… is unconditional love.”
Heming Willis went on to acknowledge how grateful she is for her relationship with her partner, adding: “I feel blessed to know it, and it’s because of him. I’d do it all over again and again in a heartbeat.”
In March 2022, Willis was first diagnosed with aphasia, a language disorder caused by brain damage that can lead to difficulties comprehending, speaking, reading, or writing.
However, in 2023, the Pulp Fiction star’s family issued a statement with the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration to reveal they had a clearer diagnosis: FTD.
After calling the condition “a cruel disease,” they also said that “FTD is the most common form of dementia.” In addition, “because getting the diagnosis can take years, FTD is likely much more prevalent than we know.”
“Today there are no treatments for the disease, a reality that we hope can change in the years ahead. 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,” they wrote. “Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others, and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately.”
The statement was signed by Heming Willis and her husband’s two children, Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 10. It was also signed by Willis’ ex-wife, Demi Moore, and their three adult children: Rumer, 36, Scout, 32, and Tallulah, 30.
Heming Willis has since continued to open up about her relationship with her husband and his health condition. While celebrating her 15th wedding anniversary on Instagram in March, she expressed how she had a “choice” for how she wanted to commemorate her marriage, following Willis’ FTD diagnosis.
“I can wallow in sorrow or I can celebrate it. I call this the ‘remarkable reframe’. What I know is there is so much to celebrate,” she wrote in the caption of her post, which showed a snap of Willis kissing her on the cheek. “Our union and connection is probably stronger than ever.”
“We have two bright, fun and healthy daughters. We have a family unit that is built on mutual respect and admiration,” she added. “And simply, I just love and adore the man I married. I’m so proud of what we have and continue to create.”
Earlier this month, Willis was also spotted in a rare photo with his family, shared by his daughter Tallulah. In the snap, the actor was seen smiling at his daughter Scout, as they sat together on the sofa, while Tallulah looked up at him from where she was seated on the floor.
In a second picture, Willis is seen touching noses with Scout while holding a plaque that reads “Best Dad Ever.”
Meanwhile, Demi Moore gave an update on her ex-husband’s health condition during an interview with CNN, which aired on December 5.
“Given the givens, he’s in a very stable place at the moment,” The Substance star said. “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.”
