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Bruce Willis’ daughter reveals how dementia has changed actor’s personality after being ‘macho dude’ for years
Bruce Willis’ daughter, Rumer Willis, admitted that until her father’s diagnosis of dementia, she “had no idea” how “prevalent” the neurological disease is.
Hollywood icon Bruce Willis’ daughter, Rumer Willis, has shared a heartfelt update about the Die Hard star, revealing how his personality has changed since being diagnosed with dementia. Opening up about his health journey, Rumer said the actor has become noticeably more tender and emotionally softer following the diagnosis.
Rumer Willis shares an update
Rumer gave an update about her father during a conversation on The Inside Edit.
“I’m so grateful I get to go see him… Even though it’s different now, I’m so grateful. There’s a sweetness. He’s always been this kind of macho dude and there’s like a — fragile is not the right word but — just a tenderness that maybe being Bruce Willis might not have allowed him in a certain way,” Rumer said.
Rumer, 37, also admitted that until her father’s diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), she “had no idea” how “prevalent” the progressive neurological disease is.
“It’s wild to me. So many people come up to me now and they say, ‘My uncle had FTD. My dad had this’,” she said during the discussion.
Back in November last year, Rumer shared an update on her father's health, revealing that he was different but still had a "spark" in him. "The truth is that anybody with FTD is not doing great. But he's doing okay in terms of somebody who's dealing with frontotemporal dementia, you know what I mean?” she admitted in an Instagram Q&A session.
Rumer is the eldest child of Bruce, 71, and ex-wife Demi Moore. The Die Hard actor also shares daughters Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 32, with Demi, 63. He shares daughters Mabel, 14, and Evelyn, 12 with his current wife Emma Heming Willis. Despite their divorce in 2000, Bruce and Demi remain on good terms.
About Bruce Willis’ dementia battle
Bruce Willis has been largely out of the public eye since his frontotemporal dementia (FTD) diagnosis. In 2022, Bruce’s family announced that he had received an aphasia diagnosis. Aphasia is a language disorder caused by brain damage that affects a person’s ability to communicate.
The family announced a year later in February 2023 the diagnosis had evolved to frontotemporal dementia, writing on social media: “While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis.”
Last year, in an interview with ABC News’ Diane Sawyer, Emma Heming Willis said that “Bruce is still very mobile. Bruce is in really great health overall, you know. It’s just his brain that is failing him… The language is going, and, you know, we’ve learned to adapt. And we have a way of communicating with him, which is just a… different way.”
In the past, actor Demi Moore, who was married to Bruce for 13 years from 1987 to 2000, and the pair’s three daughters, Rumer, Scout and Tallulah Willis, have come forward to praise Emma Heming Willis for supporting him amid his health battle.
