Emma Heming Willis recently opened up and said that “holidays are hard,” amid her husband Bruce Willis’ dementia diagnosis. Last Thursday, Heming Willis shared an Instagram video wherein she wrote that she had a “good cry” with a close friend. She also encouraged her followers to seek out those with whom they feel they can be their most vulnerable selves. “Holidays are hard. Anniversaries are hard,” she said. “But for me, this year has really been about building a community and connection. And I just want to say that has been my lifeline and I just want to thank you for that.”
The 45-year-old elaborated more on her feelings about close friends, writing in the caption, “Bruce calls it the ‘inner circle.’ It’s people that we are fortunate to have in our lives that we can call, trust and rely on. I’m lucky enough to have an inner circle of people that don’t offer a way to fix-it but can just listen. That helps tremendously. That inner circle is also here on this channel. This past year it was imperative for me to finally be able to build community and connection. And you have shown up. People from all walks of life sharing the same unfortunate thread that connects us.”
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“I receive countless messages of love and support because Bruce is so beloved,” she continued. “That showers on him and I am fortunate enough to stand below that to catch those sprinkles that yet, feel like a waterfall of kindness. I wish I could answer all the messages because they are deep, raw and poetic but please know that I appreciate them so very much. It also makes me feel less alone. I am grateful to you.”
Willis, 68, was previously diagnosed with aphasia — with his family announcing the diagnosis in spring 2022 — but in early 2023, it was revealed that he was 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.”
