‘I can’t ask him how he’s feeling’

The wife of action movie legend Bruce Willis, Emma Heming Willis, has opened up about her husband’s condition — and it’s not good news.

The 70-year-old Die Hard star was initially diagnosed with aphasia, a language disorder that makes communication difficult, in 2022.

However, the following year, his family shared some heartbreaking news: his condition had “progressed” to frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

Since his diagnosis, Bruce has largely stayed away from the public eye, although his children, wife, and ex-wife, Demi Moore, have shared updates about his condition.

Bruce Willis’ issues health update on husband

The pair have been married for over 16 years. (Picture: Splash News)
Now, in her new book The Unexpected Journey, Emma Heming Willis is sharing more about her husband’s condition and the reality of caring for a loved one with dementia — especially when they can’t communicate with you.

“All caregiving journeys can feel lonely and isolating, but the dementia caregiver’s path often feels even more so,” she writes, according to the Mirror.

“The absence of shared decision making or meaningful conversations with your loved one amplifies that sense of isolation. Because Bruce can’t communicate with me (due to the variant forms of FTD he has, primary progressive aphasia) I must make judgement calls for him about absolutely everything.”

She continues: “I can’t ask him how he’s feeling, what’s wrong, or if something hurts. Instead, I read his body language or look into his eyes to understand what’s bothering him and what he’s experiencing. I compare this to that instinct that you have as a parent.”

Emma also shared that she struggles to not give an “unhinged response” when people ask how Bruce is, writing: “Well, he has FTD. How do you think he’s doing?!”

“Yes, I know when people ask that, it is coming from a place of concern and love,” she added. “And of course, it’s better they ask than skirt by it; I just have a hard time responding without spiralling.”

The return of Bruce’s stutter was a key warning sign

Bruce was initially diagnosed with aphasia, a communication disorder. (Image: Splash News)

In a conversation with Fox News, Emma also recently shared another sign that something wasn’t quite right.

“Bruce had a severe stutter as a young child,” she explained.

“When he went to college, he figured out how to work with that stutter. He’s always been a person that stuttered, but he managed it throughout his life. And for me, some of the first signs were noticing that his stutter was coming back.”

“And … our relationship just felt very different,” she added. “It all felt very different. Our conversations and our connection just felt off. It was really hard for me to understand why or what was happening to be able to put my finger on it.”

“I never realised, or would’ve ever thought, or have known, that this sort of lack of empathy was a symptom of young dementia.”