Bruce Willis' Wife Emma Heming Willis Issues Plea to Paparazzi

By Michael Hein

Bruce Willis' wife Emma Heming is asking the paparazzi to give her husband some space. Willis was diagnosed with dementia last month and has been reported on by on-the-street reporters since then. Heming posted a video on Instagram where she pleaded with reporters to stop these encounters, saying they distressed her husband.

"In service of raising awareness around dementia, because that is my goal, if you are someone who is looking after someone with dementia, you know how difficult and stressful it can be to get someone out into the world and just to navigate them safely, even just to get a cup of coffee," Heming said, referencing an encounter at a coffee shop on Sunday. "This one is going out to the photographers and the video people that are trying to get those exclusives of my husband out and about: Just keep your space. I know this is your job, but maybe just keep your space."

"For the video people, please don't be yelling at my husband asking him how he's doing or whatever – the 'woohoo'-ing and the 'yippee ki-yays'... just don't do it. Okay?" she requested. "Give him his space. Allow for our family or whoever's with him that day to be able to get him from point A to point B safely."

Willis' family announced that he had been diagnosed with a brain disorder called aphasia in the spring of 2022. Aphasia is characterized by damage to the area of the brain that controls language expression and comprehension, meaning that Willis had new challenges speaking and understanding what others were saying. He retired from acting immediately and stepped back from public life as much as possible. The announcement caused many critics to take a second look at the low-budget movies Willis had been making in the years before.

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Last month, things went further when Willis' family announced that he had also been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. This impacts language as well as behavior. The family released a statement through The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) asking: "As Bruce's condition advances, we hope that any media attention can be focused on shining a light on this disease that needs far more awareness and research."

"Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others, and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately," the statement went on. "We know in our hearts that – if he could today -- he would want to respond by bringing global attention and a connectedness with those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it impacts so many individuals and their families."

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