Popular actor Bruce Willis had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) last month. The retired actor stepped out in Santa Monica on Thursday. FTD symptoms often arise in younger patients between the ages of 40 and 65, according to the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
During the filming sessions in which the actor was present, people present could already sense that something was not right. He had difficulty in holding conversations, coupled with not being able to connect words correctly. Recently, Willis’ wife says it is “hard to know” if the award-winning actor is aware of the frontotemporal dementia he was diagnosed with earlier this year.
Emma Heming Willis sat down with “Today” show co-anchor Hoda Kotb Monday to provide an update on the “Die Hard” star, share her journey as a “care partner” and elevate awareness of the disease at the start of World Frontotemporal Dementia Awareness Week.
“It was a blessing and a curse to finally understand what was happening to him so I can be into the acceptance of what it is,” Heming Willis, 45, said. “It doesn’t make it any less painful, but just being in the know of what is happening to Bruce makes it a little bit easier.”
