Emma Heming Willis is speaking candidly about the difficult years leading up to husband Bruce Willis’s diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). In an interview with Vanity Fair, the 49-year-old author and caregiver advocate admitted she even considered divorce before realizing what was truly happening.
“I felt like my marriage was crumbling,” Emma said. She confessed to worrying that Bruce “had fallen out of love” or had simply become “someone else.”
Subtle signs and self-doubt
Emma and Bruce, who tied the knot in March 2009 and share two daughters, Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11, had enjoyed what she called a “romantic, beautiful story” before things began to change. She recalled asking herself, “What is going on? This is not the person that I married. Something is just so off. And I just couldn't figure it out.”
Looking back now, Emma told PEOPLE, “FTD doesn’t scream, it whispers. It’s very grey to know where Bruce stopped and where his disease kicked in.”
Small signs appeared first. Bruce’s stutter began to return, and conversations no longer flowed naturally. “Conversations weren’t really aligning anymore, and our relationship started to shift,” she explained. “It was hard to put my finger on why and what was happening.”
The confusion left Emma questioning herself more than her partner. “I thought it was something I was doing in our marriage that was not working anymore,” she admitted. “It’s like you’re banging your head against a brick wall. You’re just like, ‘Where is the miscommunication coming? What is happening within our relationship?"
Diagnosis brings clarity
It wasn’t until 2022 that the Willis family finally received answers. First came the aphasia diagnosis, followed months later by confirmation of frontotemporal dementia. Although heartbreaking, the clarity helped Emma understand what had been happening all along.
Focusing on care and awareness
Today, Emma has shifted her energy toward caring for Bruce and raising awareness about FTD. But revisiting the years before the diagnosis remains difficult. “It is so hard right now for me to tap into that time of our life,” she admitted, reflecting on their early romance before the health struggles began.
Through her openness, Emma is highlighting not just the challenges of living with dementia but also the hidden toll it takes on loved ones and caregivers.
