Bruce Willis’ Wife’s New Post Fuels Outrage Amid His Dementia Battle After Claims She Moved Him Out to ‘Get On with Her Life’
The 49-year-old wife of “Die Hard” star Bruce Willis shared a heartbreaking post that has many concerned as the actor’s health continues to decline.
Emma Heming Willis shared a throwback picture of herself and her husband, which fans describe as a sad reminder of the 70-year-old actor’s battle with frontotemporal dementia.
Heming shared a since-deleted photo from a dinner event showing Willis leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek. The post shared on her Instagram Stories was captioned, “Love is never forgetting how they made you feel,” according to Parade.
She shared a similar picture of Willis on Instagram on Valentine’s Day back in 2024. The post was captioned, “Love is a beautiful thing. Wishing you all a Happy Valentine’s Day.”
Fans of the legendary actor have not been happy with his wife’s recent decisions, including writing a memoir about her marriage with Bruce, whom she moved out of their family home and into a second residence with round-the-clock care. She explained that Willis needed a living environment tailored to his needs, and their 13-year-old and 11-year-old daughters did as well.
“It was the hardest thing,” Heming told People back in September, adding that the people living with the progressive disease require “a calm and serene atmosphere.”
“We have two young children, and it was just important that they had a home that supported their needs and that Bruce could have a place that supported his needs,” she added. “The kids can have playdates and sleepovers again and not have to walk around tiptoeing.”
Yahoo readers were taken aback by the latest news about the “Die Hard” actor’s health, though his wife took a beating from people who slammed her recent decisions.
“Emma – where is the dignity in telling your husband’s business,” said one person, while another suggested, “She moved him out of the house so she can get on with her life.
Digging deeper, a third person said, “With all of Bruce’s money, Emma still put him in a home and abandoned him!!! The media needs to stop running these articles that make out like she is taking care of him.”
Another said, “Cannot stand Bruce’s attention seeking wife….she is not the sole provider for his care. There is a staff of many all around the clock everyday for him. Trying to keep herself relevant and that is pretty disgusting.”
Some people advised her to get off social media and tend to her husband instead of hiring caregivers for him.
“Love is taking a walk with him and holding his hand without social media and attention, being present for him while he struggles, that’s authentic love. Not posting to social media, I remember how he used to make me feel. That speaks volumes.”
In addition to the backlash, critics slammed Emma for continuing to speak about her husband’s health in a way many felt was opportunistic. Still, one more sympathetic commenter offered grace, writing, “It’s exceedingly tough to watch someone you love go through this living hell. My best to him and his family.
Heming recently appeared on the podcast “The Tamsen Show” and said that her daughters watching her husband’s decline was “very painful to watch.”
“We’ve been with Bruce every step of the way of his disease and his disease progresses and he declines,” said Heming. “So, it’s not like this fast track into like, oh my gosh, he’s not communicating.”
Heming added that she and her daughters aren’t able to have conversations with Willis, but they communicate differently.
“We communicate with him in our own special way that works for him, that works for us,” she continued. “It looks different from, you know, what the norm would be, but we’re not dealing with anything that is normal.”
“I know that he would want me to do whatever I needed to feel supported and cared for. And this is what it is, you know, it’s the advocacy piece. It’s for me to be able to also connect with with other people and not keep this so tight and close to my chest. Um, I think that he he would want me to find peace in in whatever way that works for me that would work for me.
Heming wrote a book about caring for someone with dementia, “The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path.” She interviewed nearly two dozen people for her best-selling book to help others navigating a declining family member, insurance questions, and similar challenges.
The life expectancy for a person living with frontotemporal dementia is seven to 13 years from the time they experience symptoms.
As the disease progresses, symptoms intensify, and people with FTD require more hands-on care as their behavior, speech, and mobility decline. The disease itself isn’t fatal, but the brain deterioration leads to complications — including swallowing difficulties that greatly increase the risk of pneumonia. Pneumonia is the leading complication for those with frontotemporal dementia, and fall-related injuries are also common.
