Bruce Willis‘ wife Emma Heming Willis has spoken out to debunk a pervasive and personally painful myth about her husband’s health.
The 47-year-old took to Instagram on Monday to respond to a media headline suggesting there is “no more joy” in her life with Bruce, 68.
Watch the video above.
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“The headline basically says there is no more joy in my husband. Now, I can just tell you, that is far from the truth,” she said in a video.
“I need society – and whoever’s writing these stupid headlines – to stop scaring people. Stop scaring people to think that once they get a diagnosis of some kind of neurocognitive disease that that’s it, it’s over.”
Bruce was first diagnosed with aphasia, a condition that affects language and communication abilities, in March 2022.
Less than a year later, his family publicly announced that the Die Hard star had also been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a form of dementia that targets behaviour, language and movement.
In the year since, Emma and the extended Willis family have shared several updates on Bruce’s health, including the news that he is largely non-verbal now.
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Despite the changes in his behaviour and ability to communicate, Emma insisted in her latest video that their life together is still filled with “love, connection, joy and happiness”.
“There is grief and sadness. There’s all of that. But you start a new chapter,” she said.
“That’s where we are. So stop with these stupid headlines. These stupid clickbaity things that freak people out. Stop doing that. There’s nothing to see here, OK?”
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Emma continued in the video’s caption, explaining that two things can be true at the same time: “Grief and deep love. Sadness and deep connection. Trauma and resilience.”
She implored everyone – from her followers, to members of the press – to educate themselves about neurocognitive diseases before forming an opinion or spreading misinformation.
“To whom it may concern, please be mindful how you frame your story’s to the public about dementia and dig deeper,” she wrote.
“There are so many wonderful organizations and specialist within this space to reach out to so you can really do your due diligence to iron your story and content out. Thank you.”
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Tallulah Willis, Bruce’s daughter with Demi Moore, was among the first to comment on Emma’s post, writing simply: “I love you so much.”
Bruce shares Tallulah, Rumer and Scout Willis with Moore, whom he married in 1987. The couple split in 2000.
He went on to marry Emma in 2009 and they have two daughters together; Mabel and Evelyn.