Emma Heming Reflects on Holidays as Bruce Willis Faces Dementia

Emma Heming Willis has opened up about how her family has adapted their holiday traditions in light of her husband Bruce Willis’ ongoing battle with dementia. In an interview with People published on November 27, 2023, she described the adjustments they have made for Thanksgiving and Christmas, emphasizing a positive outlook despite the challenges posed by the disease.

At the recent End Well 2025 conference in Los Angeles, Heming Willis, 47, shared, “Bruce loved Christmas and we love celebrating it with him. It just looks different, so we’ve kind of adapted to that.” She highlighted the importance of creating new memories while maintaining cherished traditions. “Life goes on. It just goes on. Dementia is hard, but there is still joy in it,” she added. “I think it’s important that we don’t paint such a negative picture around dementia. We are still laughing. There is still joy. It just looks different.”

Bruce Willis was first diagnosed with aphasia, a language disorder, in March 2022. His family later announced that his condition had progressed to frontotemporal dementia, a degenerative brain disease affecting communication, behavior, and mobility. Rumer Willis, the couple’s daughter, recently addressed her father’s health during an Instagram Q&A. “People always ask me this question and I think it’s kind of a hard one to answer because the truth is that anybody with FTD is not doing great,” she said, adding, “But he’s doing OK in terms of somebody who’s dealing with frontotemporal dementia, you know what I mean?”

Rumer expressed gratitude for the moments she still shares with her father. “I’m so happy and grateful that I still get to go and hug him,” she said. “Whether he recognizes me or not, he can feel the love I’ve given him, and I can feel it back from him.”

As Bruce’s health has progressed, Heming Willis made the difficult decision to move him to a second home equipped with a round-the-clock care team. During an ABC special titled Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey, which aired in August, she described this choice as one of the hardest she has faced. “But I knew, first and foremost, Bruce would want that for our daughters. He would want them to be in a home that was more tailored to their needs, not his needs,” she explained.

In her memoir, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, released in September, Heming Willis reflected on the benefits of seeking outside help. She noted that receiving support allows caregivers to reconnect with their original roles in their loved ones’ lives. “It took me some time to see it that way and reframe it rather than sitting in the guilt,” she wrote. She emphasized her gratitude for being able to enjoy time with Bruce once again and for her children to have their mother back.

As the family navigates this challenging chapter, Emma Heming Willis continues to advocate for a more nuanced understanding of dementia. Her positive approach serves as a reminder of the resilience and love that can persist, even in the face of profound change.

Bruce’s journey, along with Emma’s heartfelt insights, highlights the importance of support and adaptation within families affected by dementia, creating a narrative of hope amidst adversity.