Hollywood icon Bruce Willis is now living with a dedicated care team in a second home, as his family continues to adjust to life after his diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
The actor, 70, was moved to the residence near his wife, Emma Heming Willis, and their two young daughters.
According to Heming Willis, the one-story home is “safer for him and his caregivers to navigate,” while still close enough for daily family visits.
She revealed the arrangement during an emotional conversation with Diane Sawyer on ABC News, tied to her new book, The Unexpected Journey.
“It’s one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make so far,” she admitted. “But I knew, first and foremost, Bruce would want that for our daughters.”
The home is now filled with warmth, laughter, and family belongings to make their children feel at ease.
“We’re there a lot, so the girls have their things there. It is … a house that is filled with warmth and love and care and laughter,” Heming Willis said
“And it’s been beautiful to see how many of Bruce’s friends continue to show up for it, and they bring in life and fun.”
Willis’ blended family, which includes ex-wife Demi Moore and their three adult daughters, often gathers to visit him.
This support system has been crucial since his official retirement in early 2022 after being diagnosed with aphasia, a condition that affects communication.
Just over a year later, doctors confirmed he was living with FTD.
Heming Willis admitted the journey has been deeply painful and, at times, confusing.
Reflecting on the early changes in her husband, she said: “I didn’t understand what was happening.
And I just thought like, ‘How can I remain in a marriage that doesn’t feel like what we had?’ … (He) would dismiss it.”
The unexpected shift in their family life has left her cherishing small, fleeting moments when the old Bruce shines through.
“Sometimes it’s just easier for me to stay in the what is,” she explained.
“When we are with him, he lights up. … So that’s all I need. I don’t need him to know that I am his wife. I just want to feel that I have a connection with him, and I do.”
