Bruce Willis’ wife Emma responds to backlash over living separately amid his dementia struggles

Emma Heming Willis is standing firm against criticism over her decision to live separately from husband Bruce Willis as he continues his battle with frontotemporal dementia. In a primetime ABC special that aired on August 26, Emma & Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey, Emma revealed that the Die Hard actor, 70, now lives in a specialised residence with professional caregivers.

She described the move as “one of the hardest decisions” of her life but emphasised that it was made with Bruce’s dignity and their daughters’ well-being in mind. “I knew, first and foremost, Bruce would want that for our girls,” she told, explaining that the facility has since become her family’s “second home” — a place filled with love, warmth, and laughter.

Emma Heming Willis speaks out on caring for Bruce Willis with dementia

The decision, however, sparked public backlash, prompting Emma to post a video on Instagram three days later. Addressing critics directly, she said she anticipated mixed reactions when sharing intimate details of their life. “What I knew is that by sharing some of our intimate information we would see these two camps: people with opinions and people with actual experience,” she explained.

Emma pointed out that many people make quick judgments about caregivers without knowing what goes on day to day. “Even if someone understands dementia, they’re not in your house. They don’t see how your loved one behaves, or how your family works,” she said. In her view, only those who live through it can really understand. “If they don’t have the experience, they don’t get a say.”

Her stepdaughter Tallulah Willis has also voiced support, and left a note in the comments: “I love you so much. We love you so much. Thank you for all you do for us and our family.”

The Willis family revealed Bruce’s frontotemporal dementia diagnosis back in 2023. Since then, he has been physically healthy and mobile, but the disease has made communication difficult. Emma has spoken about the strain it has placed on their family and has detailed those experiences in her new book, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, that comes out on September 9.

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