Bruce Willis’ daughter Tallulah Willis has shared how her family is coping following her father's dementia diagnosis.
The Die Hard actor, 69, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in 2023, after retiring from acting the previous year, due to aphasia.
FTD is a rare form of dementia that impacts behaviour and language, developing gradually and worsening over time, according to the NHS.
Following his diagnosis, he stepped back from the spotlight to concentrate on his health, with his loved ones, including second wife Emma Heming Willis, frequently offering updates.
Tallulah admitted that she is only now starting to confront her emotions regarding her father’s diagnosis, having previously made efforts to avoid dealing with them.
Writing alongside photos of her and her father on Instagram, she penned: “Hey I love this guy so much and feeling feelings is tough stuff, but I’m so grateful to let them flow through me now instead of disconnecting from it!
The 30-year-old shared a series of photos featuring her and the Hollywood actor hugging, enjoying dinner together, and reminiscing over his old magazine covers. She captioned the post, "From the forever archives."
Her post comes shortly after she gave an update on her father’s health on the Today Show last month.
Speaking to hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb she said: “He’s doing stable, which in this situation is good, and is hard. There’s painful days, but there’s so much love.”
The daughter of Demi Moore explained that since the actor’s diagnosis, she’s learned to spend her time more wisely and be appreciative of any time she is able to spend with her family, especially her father.
She continued: “It’s really shown me to not take any moment for granted, and I really do think that we’d be best friends.
“I think he’s very proud of me. You have to be in the moment. You have to be present.”
In March, Tallulah publicly spoke about her autism diagnosis for the first time. The actress posted a video clip taken from the LA premiere of The Whole Ten Yards in 2004, where her father is answering questions on the red carpet, while she is rubbing his shaved head and playing with his ears as he holds her.
“Tell me your autistic without telling me your autistic,” she captioned the video, adding a crying-laughing emoji.
When asked in the comments if she was diagnosed as a child, Tallulah replied: “Actually this is the first time I’ve ever publicly shared my diagnosis.
“Found out this summer and it’s changed my life.”
Her sister Scout LaRue Willis also commented on the video, saying: “She’s stimming.”
Stimming, or self-stimulating behaviour, involves repeating activities involving the senses, which is often used to deal with stress and anxiety, according to the National Autistic Society.
