Bruce Willis' kids 'already grieving' as wife fears they may never 'bounce back'

Hollywood star and Die Hard actor Bruce Willis was diagnosed with a relatively rare form of dementia in 2023, with his condition progressing so that he's now non-verbal

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Hollywood star Bruce Willis' children are already grieving their dad, after the Die Hard actor was diagnosed with dementia. His influencer and model wife, Emma Heming, has been navigating the reality of his condition - frontotemporal dementia - since he was officially diagnosed in 2023.

But although the family are still coming to terms with their dad's illness, she revealed they're "doing well, all things considered". The 47-year-old shares her two children, Mabel Ray, 13, and Evelyn Penn, 11, with Bruce, 70.

She first realised there was a problem long before his official diagnosis, but brushed some of his symptoms off, unknowingly missing the first signs of his dementia. She recently revealed how she initially thought his cognitive changes were down to his hearing loss, which he suffered during an on-set accident while filming Die Hard in the 80s.

But when he was exhibiting troubling behaviour and personality changes, they sought medical advice. The A Lister was first diagnosed with aphasia, which causes communication difficulties, in 2022.

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And now, speaking to Vogue Australia, Emma has discussed the impact of his condition on her young children. She revealed: "'They grieve, they miss their dad so much. He's missing important milestones, that's tough for them - but kids are resilient, [although] I used to hate hearing that because people didn't understand what we were walking through."

Heartbreakingly, she added: "I don't know if my kids will ever bounce back, but they're learning and so am I." She added that her stepdaughter Scout quotes in Emma's new book that 'grief is the price we pay for loving someone so deeply', with Emma adding: "And she’s right."

Speaking about the moment she was told about Bruce's diagnosis, she told People : "I'm sure the doctor was explaining what FTD is, but I couldn't hear a single thing. I had pins and needles going through my body. My ears were wafting. I'm sure he was feeding us information but all I heard was just, 'Check back in and here's a pamphlet'."

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In her new book, The Unexpected Journey, she goes into detail about the progression of his diagnosis while also revealing how the family's lives have changed. Early on in the book, Emma revealed Bruce isn't able to communicate with her.

She said: "All caregiving journeys can feel lonely and isolating, but the dementia caregiver’s path often feels even more so. The absence of shared decision making or meaningful conversations with your loved one amplifies that sense of isolation.

"Because Bruce can’t communicate with me (due to the variant forms of FTD he has, primary progressive aphasia) I must make judgement calls for him about absolutely everything. I can’t ask him how he’s feeling, what’s wrong, or if something hurts.

"Instead, I read his body language or look into his eyes to understand what’s bothering him and what he’s experiencing. I compare this to that instinct that you have as a parent.”

Bruce, who shares daughters Rumer, Scout and Tallulah with ex wife Demi Moore, once said his family thought his "unresponsiveness" was due to his hearing issues. But when he began to "check out" of conversations with his girls, Emma became suspicious that something more sinister was happening.

In a 2007 Q&A with the Guardian, he was asked about his most unappealing habit. He replied: "Due to an accident on the first Die Hard, I suffer two-thirds partial hearing loss in my left ear and have a tendency to say, 'Whaaa?'"

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