Bruce Willis’ Wife Shares Throwback Of The Actor Prior to His Aphasia Diagnosis

Bruce Willis smiling in his apartment in The Fifth Element.
(Image credit: Sony Pictures Entertainment)

The world has rallied around Bruce Willis after an Aphasia diagnosis saw the legendary actor retiring after a career of making some of the best action movies. No one has been more supportive than the man’s family, especially his wife Emma Heming Willis, who time and again has lovingly acted as both caretaker and cheerleader for her husband. Sharing another moment of such behavior, Emma posted a throwback to a sweet moment of Bruce doing the cheering, prior to his diagnosis. 

In Emma Heming Willis’ recent Instagram stories is a moment where Bruce is reading aloud some press coverage of his wife’s beauty brand CocoBaba. When asked by his loving partner what he thought about that, Willis responded with classic warmth and wit saying, “I’m crazy about her.” As you can see in the image below, Emma fondly shared this moment with some extra commentary on how she came to find this memory in the first place: 

Bruce Willis reading a reaction on Emma Willis' IG story.

(Image credit: Instagram)

This moment of warmth has landed at the right time, as a recent update to Bruce Willis’ diagnosis more precisely pinpointed his condition. The Die Hard actor was more specifically diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, also known as “FTD,” which there are unfortunately no treatments for at the current time. 

Having something bright like this memory for Emma Heming Willis to share with herself, and the rest of the world, really helps right about now. It’s especially helpful for the former model and actress, who has been married to her husband Bruce since 2009, and has two young daughters to take care of as well. Which has combined the usual challenges of family life with the concern of providing care for Bruce Willis post-diagnosis.

Previously, Emma has opened up about balancing self care along with caring for her family. While it hasn’t been the easiest thing for her to do, Willis has met the challenges of her husband’s condition admirably, and tackles discussing those matters just as bravely. The candor involved with those discussions undoubtedly helps Emma Heming Willis in coping with the difficulties that lie ahead, but it also serves another purpose.

Through sharing her experiences, Emma has taken another chance to help people like herself open up more about the trials of family caretaking. Normalizing the discourse surrounding such a subject is something that only gives those going through the same situations a better way to voice their own stories all the better. 

Similar to how Bruce Willis' best movies have helped his audience through the power of entertainment, Emma Heming Willis is giving the world a chance to remember that they need to care for themselves as well as others. It's an important message, though it's not the only focus that Emma has on her mind. 

Outside of more serious medical matters, the Willis family's current priority is to make as many fond memories with Bruce Willis on hand as possible. That's something that anyone would agree is an important step on the road ahead, which is why seeing Emma sharing these sorts of memories with the rest of us is always a comfort. 

Mike Reyes
Senior Movies Contributor

Mike Reyes is the Senior Movie Contributor at CinemaBlend, though that title’s more of a guideline really. Passionate about entertainment since grade school, the movies have always held a special place in his life, which explains his current occupation. Mike graduated from Drew University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, but swore off of running for public office a long time ago. Mike's expertise ranges from James Bond to everything Alita, making for a brilliantly eclectic resume. He fights for the user.

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