Bruce Willis “never connected the dots” that he has frontotemporal dementia, his wife Emma Heming Willis revealed. In an exclusive interview on the Jan. 28 episode of her podcast Conversations with Cam, Emma, 47, spoke candidly about her husband’s ongoing health challenges and the impact of the diagnosis.
“I think that’s like the blessing and the curse of this, is that he never connected the dots that he had this disease, and I’m really happy about that. I’m really happy that he doesn’t know about it,” she said.
Emma explained that Bruce, 70, experiences anosognosia, a condition in which the brain is unable to recognize one or more health conditions in the body. According to the Cleveland Clinic, anosognosia is commonly seen in individuals with mental health or neurological disorders. “It’s where your brain can’t identify what is happening to it,” Emma said. “People think this might be denial, like they don’t want to go to the doctor because they’re like, ‘I’m fine, I’m fine,’ actually, this is the anosognosia that comes into play. It’s not denial. It’s just that their brain is changing. This is a part of the disease.”
Bruce was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in 2023. The disease affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, causing changes in personality, emotional regulation, and speech difficulties. Other symptoms can include loss of motor skills, such as trouble walking, swallowing, or muscle spasms. FTD is progressive and is the most common form of dementia for people under 60.
Despite the challenges, Emma emphasized that Bruce remains “very much present in his body” and that their family has adapted to his evolving condition. “As his dementia has progressed, we have progressed along with him. We’ve adapted along with him,” she shared.
She described the unique ways Bruce continues to connect with her and their children: “He has a way of connecting with me, our children that might not be the same as you would connect with your loved one, but it’s still very beautiful. It’s still very meaningful. It’s just — it’s just different. You just learn how to adapt.”
Emma’s comments shed light on both the emotional and practical realities of caring for a loved one with dementia. By sharing their experience, the family hopes to raise awareness of frontotemporal dementia and the challenges that come with conditions like anosognosia.
