Emma Heming Willis, the wife of Hollywood star Bruce Willis, has revealed that her husband is not aware he is living with dementia.

Speaking on the podcast Conversations with Cam, which aired on January 28, Emma shared an update on the 70-year-old actor’s current health condition.
“Bruce has never been aware that he has this disease,” she said. “And honestly, that brings me some peace. I’m glad he doesn’t know.”

Emma explained that Bruce is affected by anosognosia, a condition in which the brain is unable to recognize its own illness. According to Cleveland Clinic, anosognosia is common among people with neurological and psychiatric disorders.

“It’s when the brain can’t understand what’s happening to itself,” Emma explained. “So Bruce, and others with anosognosia, believe their current state is normal. Many people think it’s denial — like, ‘I’m fine, I don’t need to see a doctor.’ But it’s not denial. The brain itself has changed. This is part of the disease.”

In 2023, Bruce Willis’s family announced that the Die Hard star had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). This group of disorders causes the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain to shrink, leading to problems with language, emotional regulation, and personality changes. Other symptoms may include impaired movement, difficulty walking or swallowing, and muscle stiffness. FTD is a progressive condition and is one of the most common forms of dementia in people under 60. Unlike Alzheimer’s disease, memory loss is not usually the earliest symptom.

Despite the progression of the illness, Emma said Bruce remains “fully present physically,” and the family has learned to adapt to each change as it comes.
“The connection between Bruce and me, and between him and our children, may not look the same as before,” she said. “But it’s still beautiful and meaningful. It’s just… different. And you learn how to adapt.”

Emma, 47, shares two daughters with Bruce — Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11. The actor also has three adult daughters with his ex-wife, actress Demi Moore. The entire family has been caring for Bruce since his diagnosis, after he retired from acting.

In an ABC special aired last summer, Emma revealed that Bruce now lives in a separate residence where medical staff can closely monitor and treat him as the disease progresses. Family members and friends visit him regularly.

Born in 1955, Bruce Willis is one of Hollywood’s most iconic action stars, with a career spanning more than four decades. He starred in numerous acclaimed films and series, including Moonlighting, Pulp Fiction, The Fifth Element, The Sixth Sense, 12 Monkeys, Sin City, and most memorably as John McClane in the Die Hard franchise.