### Bruce Willis' Dementia Journey: Family Reflects and Adapts

Rumer Willis, daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, recently opened up about her father's battle with dementia, shedding light on what her famous parents are like as grandparents. Bruce Willis, best known for his role in the action hit "Die Hard," is now living with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and aphasia.

Bruce's wife, Emma Heming Willis, detailed how the early signs of his condition were initially misinterpreted due to his childhood battle with stuttering. "Bruce has always had a stutter, but he has been good at covering it up," she noted in an interview with Town & Country. Initially, his changing language patterns were thought to be a continuation of his stutter, something that had been a part of his life since childhood.

Acting played a crucial role in helping Bruce manage his stutter. Emma recounted that a theater teacher in college transformed his life by showing him that memorizing scripts allowed him to speak without stuttering. This revelation was pivotal, leading to Bruce’s successful career in Hollywood, eventually launching him to fame with "Die Hard," the highest-grossing action film of 1988.

In March 2022, Bruce's family publicly announced that he would be stepping away from acting due to his aphasia diagnosis, which was later identified as part of his FTD. The National Institute on Aging describes FTD as resulting from neuronal damage in the brain’s frontal and temporal lobes, which can lead to various symptoms including communication issues, unusual behaviors, and difficulty with work or walking.

Emma also shared the emotional challenges of discussing Bruce's condition with their young daughters, Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 10. "Finally getting to a diagnosis was key so that I could learn what frontotemporal dementia is and I could educate our children," she explained. Her approach has been to be as transparent as possible, given that her daughters had already noticed changes in their father's health over the years.

By addressing Bruce's condition openly, Emma believes that their daughters can better understand and cope with his health journey. Despite the difficult circumstances, the Willis family remains committed to supporting each other and adapting to Bruce’s evolving needs.