Bruce Willis' Wife Emma Heming Celebrates His 69th Birthday Amid Dementia Diagnosis
Heming called her husband "the gift that keeps giving."
Bruce Willis's wife Emma Heming is taking time to celebrate the beloved actor's 69th birthday this week amid his dementia diagnosis. Over on Instagram, Heming shared a throwback photo of Willis holding one of their daughters while smiling sweetly.
In the post's caption, Heming penned a sweet message about her husband, writing, "Just like you, we simply adore him. What you might not know, but maybe you could imagine, that being wrapped in his arms is the safest place in this whole wide world. He's a true gentle-man. With so much love to give and share. That's what I get to see, his true core. I can tell you, it's so pure and ever so good.
Heming then added, "Happy Birthday my love. You are the gift that keeps giving."
Previously, Bruce was diagnosed with aphasia, but in 2023 it was revealed that he is living with frontotemporal dementia, or FTD. The Alzheimer's Association offers a detailed explanation of FTD, which "refers to a group of disorders caused by progressive nerve cell loss in the brain's frontal lobes (the areas behind your forehead) or its temporal lobes (the regions behind your ears). The association also says nerve cell damage caused by FTD can lead to "loss of function in these brain regions, which variably cause deterioration in behavior, personality and/or difficulty with producing or comprehending language."
Recently, a source close to the family shared a disappointing health update on Willis' health, saying that his "disease has progressed quickly, and he can't really communicate anymore." The In Touch source went on to say that his family was planning a big party for his 69th birthday, on March 19.
"Those who love Bruce want to cherish every last moment with him. They all realize this could be his last birthday," the source said, adding that Willis' daughters are "taking as many photos and videos as possible."
Willis shares three children with ex-wife Demi Moore: Tallulah, 30, Scout, 32, and Rumer, 35 — as well as daughters Evelyn Penn, 9, and Mabel Ray, 11, with Heming, his wife since 2009. Willis and Moore are also grandparents to Rumer's baby daughter, Louetta Isley.