Bruce Willis' wife reveals first symptoms she noticed before dementia diagnosis
Bruce Willis' wife Emma Heming Willis has opened up about the first signs something was wrong with the Hollywood star prior to his frontotemporal dementia diagnosis.
The legendary actor announced his retirement from acting in 2022 after being diagnosed with aphasia.
The following year, his family revealed that he had been given a frontotemporal dementia (FTD) diagnosis.
Bruce, who has an incredible list of acting credits, including roles in iconic movies such as Pulp Fiction and Die Hard, has since stayed out of the public eye.
Advert
But his family, including his daughter Rumer, have shared updates about his health.
During a recent appearance on The Bosstick podcast, Emma, 47, said his husband’s high-profile was helping to change people’s understanding of the illness.
“The issue with FTD, [is] it’s commonly misdiagnosed as bi-polar [or] midlife crisis,” she said.
“So when you get the diagnosis, which is three or seven years later, they can’t get into the trials that are there.
She also revealed the early signs she spotted in her husband that made her realise something was wrong.
“For Bruce, it affected his language,” she explained. “I was noticing things in his language, which… it was a stutter that came back.
“But for others it can be behaviour, where it does look like it could be a mid-life crisis or [that] something has completely gone awry.”
Emma also cleared up a common ‘misconception’ about Bruce’s condition.
She explained that there are ‘different variants’ of dementia, one of which is FTD.
“The one that Bruce has affects language, but there’s another variant that will affect behaviour and another one that could affect movement,” she explained.
When asked if Bruce’s variant impacted his memory, she said: “No, it doesn’t.
“That’s a different part of the brain. So when people say, ‘Oh, you know, does he remember who you are?’ Well, he does because he doesn’t have Alzheimer’s; he has FTD.
“I think that’s a very common misconception that, when you think of dementia, we think of memory loss.”
Back in January, Emma shared that her husband ‘didn’t know’ he has dementia.
She explained he had something called anosognosia, which means his brain can’t identify what is happening.
"Where people think this might be denial, actually this is the anosognosia that comes into play” she said on the Conversations With Cam podcast.
“It's not denial, it's just that their brain is changing. This is a part of the disease.
"That is the blessing and the curse of this is that Bruce never tapped in, he never connected the dots that he has this disease and I'm really happy that he doesn't know about it."
What are the symptom of FTD?
According to the NHS, FTD tends to start at a younger age than other forms of dementia, with most cases diagnosed in those aged 45-65.
Although it can also affect younger or older people.
Much like other types of dementia, frontotemporal dementia tends to develop slowly and get gradually worse over several years.
The NHS says symptoms can include:
- Personality and behavioural changes - which might include ‘acting inappropriately or impulsively, appearing selfish or unsympathetic, neglecting personal hygiene, overeating, or loss of motivation’.
- Language problems - this can include struggling with words, speaking slowly, getting words in the wrong order, or using words incorrectly
- Problems with mental abilities - becoming easily distracted or struggling with planning and organisation.
- The NHS also says they may also be physical symptoms, such as stiff or slow movements, loss of bladder or bowel control (usually not until later on), muscle weakness or difficulty swallowing.
Topics: Bruce Willis, Health, Celebrity
Claire Reid