Emma said she wanted fans to “see all sides of this.”
Bruce Willis’ wife Emma marked the actor’s 68th birthday on Sunday with a candid message about her husband’s condition. “I have started the morning by crying, as you can see by my swollen eyes and snotty nose,” she said in a video posted to Instagram Stories.
She continued to say that she wanted fans to “see all sides of this” — referring to her husband’s diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
“I always get this message where people always tell me, ‘Oh you’re so strong. I don’t know how you do it,’” she said. “I’m not given a choice. I wish I was, but I’m also raising two kids in this. Sometimes in our lives, we have to put our big girl panties on and get to it. And that’s what I’m doing. But I do have times of sadness, every day, grief every day, and I’m really feeling it today on his birthday.”
She shared another post on her feed featuring a video montage of the actor on the beach, the pair of them kissing, and an array of clips of Willis playing with their children.
“He is pure love. He is so loved,” she wrote. “And I’ll be loving him always. Happy Birthday my sweet. My birthday wish for Bruce is that you continue to keep him in your prayers and highest vibrations because his sensitive Pisces soul will feel it 🙏🏽 Thank you so much for loving and caring for him too.”
Emma made it clear that she wants to reach out to anyone in a similar position to hers. In another post on her feed, she wrote: “Today is one of those days of feeling the grief and sadness. But the silver lining or the flip side is that I’m so lucky to feel your warmth and love that is directed to my husband and our family.
I see your messages, the stories that you share, and all I can say is thank you. Your connection helps me and I hope it helps you in a small way to know that I see you and I deeply understand your journey as well.”
A “cruel” diagnosis
Willis’ family, including his ex-wife Demi Moore and their three children Rumer, Scout and Tallulah, announced his diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia earlier this year. This came roughly a year after he announced his retirement from acting due to aphasia, a condition that causes difficulties with language and speech.
“FTD is a cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and can strike anyone,” they wrote in a statement. “For people under 60, FTD is the most common form of dementia, and because getting the diagnosis can take years, FTD is likely much more prevalent than we know.”
Willis has apparently experienced difficulties communicating, as well as other symptoms. People with FTD, which accounts for between 10 and 20 percent of dementia cases, often exhibit changes in mood, compulsive behaviors like tapping, and even dramatic personality changes.
