Emma Heming Reflects on Bruce Willis' Anniversary with Mixed Emotions
Emma Heming, wife of Bruce Willis, recently opened up about their anniversary and her feelings amid his dementia battle. The couple marked their 17th anniversary on December 29.
"17 years of us ❤️," Heming wrote on Instagram alongside a cherished photo. She expressed her struggle: "Anniversaries used to bring excitement — now, when I’m honest, they stir up all the feelings. There’s a heaviness in my heart and a pit in my stomach. I allow myself 30 minutes for the ‘why him, why us?' to experience the anger and grief."
Despite these tough feelings, she emphasized the importance of unconditional love in her life. "Then I shake it off and return to what is. What is… is unconditional love. I feel blessed to know it, and it’s because of him. I’d do it all over again and again in a heartbeat 💞"
Heming and Willis began dating in 2007, after his divorce from Demi Moore. They married soon after, welcoming two daughters, Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 10. Willis also shares three daughters — Rumer, 36, Scout, 33, and Tallulah, 30 — with Moore.
In 2022, the family announced Willis had been diagnosed with aphasia, impacting his speech abilities. The Mayo Clinic defines frontotemporal dementia (FTD) as impacting behavior, language, and personality, primarily affecting the frontal and temporal lobes.
In an interview with Town & Country, Heming discussed coping with Bruce's health struggles. "Today, I’m much better than when we first received the FTD diagnosis," she shared. While it isn't easier, she learned to accept the situation. "I have to be grounded in what is to support our children. I’m navigating the balance of grief and sadness with moments of joy."
Heming also noticed early warning signs of his condition. "Bruce has always had a stutter, but he masked it well," she noted. As Bruce's speech patterns began to change, initial symptoms were misinterpreted.
"Never in a million years would I think it would be a form of dementia for someone so young," she remarked about Willis’ illness. She further explained, "It began in his temporal lobes, spreading to the frontal part of his brain. FTD attacks a person’s ability to think, walk, and make decisions. I say that FTD whispers; it doesn’t shout. Identifying where Bruce ended and his disease took over is challenging. He was diagnosed two years ago, but a year prior, he had a preliminary diagnosis of aphasia, which is a symptom, not the disease."
Earlier, SSP reported that Chloe Bailey shared exciting plans for 2025.