Bruce Willis’ Wife Emma Heming Willis Shares Emotional Anniversary Post

Emma Heming Willis is being honest about the mixed emotions her 17th anniversary with husband Bruce Willis has brought about. The model, who married the Die Hard actor, 69, in 2009, marked the anniversary of when she and her husband first started dating with an emotional Instagram post on Sunday, Dec. 29.

“17 years of us,” Emma, 46, wrote alongside a photo of herself with her husband enjoying a romantic beach sunset. The entrepreneur then continued to express some of the more difficult emotions the anniversary has brought about for her since Bruce’s frontotemporal dementia diagnosis.

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“Anniversaries used to bring excitement,” she continued. “Now, if I’m honest, they stir up all the feelings, leaving a heaviness in my heart and a pit in my stomach. I give myself 30 minutes to sit in the ‘why him, why us,’ to feel the anger and grief. Then I shake it off and return to what is. And 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.”

In 2022, Bruce’s family announced that the Emmy Award-winning actor had been diagnosed with aphasia and would be stepping away from acting. The following year, they revealed that he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, which causes atrophy in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. This can come with changes in personality, behavior and language, according to the Mayo Clinic.

On Father’s Day last year, Emma shared her appreciation for her husband on social media as she reflected on his diagnosis’ impact on their family, which also includes daughters Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 10. “Father’s Day is a time I get to reflect on my deep appreciation and respect I have for Bruce as I watch him father our little ones,” Emma wrote at the time. “Where it might not be ‘conventional,’ what he’s teaching them will span generations. Unconditional love, kindness, strength, compassion, patience, generosity, resilience. Happy Father’s Day to the greatest dad I know, who will forever be the gift that keeps giving within our family.”

In February, Emma announced that she is writing a “book for caregivers” to help people going through similar situations. “For me knowledge is power, and building a supportive community around me has been vital,” she said at the time. Identifying the right resources to educate and enlighten myself has been powerful and has allowed me the space to continue to move forward in the most positive way so that I can be the best mother, wife, daughter, friend and care partner.” She continued, “I want to be able to share that with the next person who finds themselves here.”