Bruce Willis Forgets Daughter Leading To Breakdown

In a heartfelt update shared with her online followers, Emma Heming Willis, wife of actor Bruce Willis, revealed that a clinical trial aimed at finding a cure for frontotemporal dementia (FTD) has come to an end. FTD is a debilitating brain disease that has been affecting Bruce Willis, ultimately leading to his retirement from acting earlier this year at the age of 68.

 


 

Expressing her disappointment, Emma wrote, “Yesterday I read that Wave Life Sciences ended their clinical trial that could potentially treat frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Where I’m not sure it could have helped us over here, it doesn’t really matter, it still feels like a gut punch.” Alongside her heartfelt message, Emma shared a photo of their daughters, Evelyn and Mabel, emphasizing the impact of the disease on their family.

Despite the setback, Emma also acknowledged the efforts made by Wave Life Sciences, the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, and the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) through their Treat FTD Fund program. She expressed gratitude for their active role in the search for a cure and urged them to continue building on the learnings and findings from the trial. Emma remained hopeful and encouraged the entire FTD community to keep the faith and never lose hope.

“Yesterday I read that Wave Life Sciences ended their clinical trial that could potentially treat frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Where I’m not sure it could have helped us over here, it doesn’t really matter, it still feels like a gut punch.

But I always have to look at the silver linings—they are trying. So I want to say thank you to Wave Life Sciences also to Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation and AFTD who played an active role through the Treat FTD Fund program,” Emma said.

She added: “Please keep that momentum going, build on the learnings/findings, and don’t give up on this loving community. Our family will continue to keep the faith and never lose hope.”

In a poignant essay for Vogue, Tallulah Willis, the 29-year-old daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, shared her personal experience and realization of her father’s illness. She explained that her family had announced in early 2022 that Bruce was suffering from aphasia, a condition that impairs his ability to speak and understand speech. This symptom was later identified as a feature of frontotemporal dementia, a progressive neurological disorder that affects cognition and behavior over time.

Tallulah revealed that she had suspected her father’s potential illness for some time. Initially, his unresponsiveness was attributed to Hollywood hearing loss, but as it became more pronounced, she began to question if he had lost interest in her. The realization that it wasn’t personal still caused her immense pain, and she shared a heartbreaking moment at a wedding in 2021 when she realized her father would never be able to speak about her in adulthood at her own wedding. Overwhelmed by grief, she had to excuse herself and found solace in tears outside.

“My family announced in early 2022 that Bruce Willis was suffering from aphasia, a brain-mediated inability to speak or to understand speech, and we learned earlier this year that that symptom was a feature of frontotemporal dementia, a progressive neurological disorder that chips away at his cognition and behavior day by day.

It started out with a kind of vague unresponsiveness, which the family chalked up to Hollywood hearing loss: ‘Speak up! ‘Die Hard’ messed with Dad’s ears.’” she wrote. “Later that unresponsiveness broadened, and I sometimes took it personally. He had had two babies with my stepmother, Emma Heming Willis, and I thought he’d lost interest in me.”

“Suddenly I realized that I would never get that moment, my dad speaking about me in adulthood at my wedding. It was devastating,” she recalled. “I left the dinner table, stepped outside, and wept in the bushes.”

 

Harrison Carter
Harrison Carter
Harrison Carter has been a huge pro wrestling fan since 2002, and it's been his first love ever since then. He has years of writing experience for all things pro wrestling. His interests outside of wrestling include films, books and soccer.

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