The holidays are often seen as a time of joy, tradition, and family togetherness—but for Emma Heming Willis, this season has come with a heavy dose of heartbreak. In a deeply emotional blog post, she opened up about life with her husband, Bruce Willis, following his 2023 diagnosis with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
Emma, 47, shared a blog post reflecting on “how this season can bring up grief, loss, love, and moments of meaning all at once.” She wrote, “The holidays don’t disappear with a dementia diagnosis. They change. And while that change can ache, it can also make room for new traditions, softer joy, and connection that still matters deeply. I wrote this for anyone moving through the season while caring for someone they love and holding a lot at once.”
She painted a vivid picture of Bruce as the heart of their holiday celebrations. “He loved this time of year—the energy, family time, the traditions. He was the pancake-maker, the get-out-in-the-snow-with-the-kids guy, the steady presence moving through the house as the day unfolded. There was comfort in the routine of knowing exactly how the day would go, especially since I’m a creature of habit,” she shared.
But Emma also acknowledged the painful changes that come with the illness. “I hold the memories of Bruce as the man who once carried this season for our family, and I hold the reality of who he is now, with the same love. I hold tears and laughter in the same breath, often in the very same moment,” she wrote.
Earlier this year, Willis, 70, moved into a separate home in August 2025—a decision Emma called “one of the hardest” she’s ever had to make. The move, she explained, was in the best interest of both Bruce and their daughters, Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11. He now lives near the family’s home and receives care from a full-time team.
Rumer Willis, Bruce’s daughter from his first marriage to Demi Moore, recently shared a candid update on Instagram. “I’m so grateful that when I go over there and I give him a hug, whether he recognizes me or not, he can feel the love I’ve given him and I can feel it back from him,” she wrote.
Despite the memory lapses, Emma emphasized that connection remains at the core of their relationship. “He’s holding our hands. We’re kissing him. We’re hugging him. He is reciprocating. You know, he is into it,” she told ABC in August. “And so that’s all I need, you know? I don’t need him to know that I am his wife, and we were married on this day, and this is what it—I don’t need any of that. I just wanna feel that I have a connection with him. And I do.”
