Bruce Willis’ wife Emma Heming shared an emotional Father’s Day post amid his heartbreaking battle with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and aphasia
The 46-year-old actress, who has two daughters named Mabel (12) and Evelyn (10) with her husband, a 70-year-old legendary action star, took to Instagram on Sunday to honor her longtime partner.
In a heartwarming post, she celebrated Father’s Day by acknowledging all fathers facing challenges like disability or illness, commending their efforts to be there for their children. The post featured a touching image of Willis embracing one of their young daughters on the couch.
Heming expressed her admiration for how Bruce, her husband, imparts essential values to their daughters beyond mere words. She highlighted qualities such as resilience, unconditional love, and the powerful impact of being present in their lives. The photo, for her, symbolizes the depth and adaptability of love, its ability to endure and remain constant amidst life’s changes.
Still, the mother-of-two admitted that ‘these symbolic days stir up a lot’ of emotion for her.
‘I’m profoundly sad today. I wish, with every cell in my body, that things could be different for him and lighter for our family,’ Heming explained. ‘As they say in our FTD community, “It is what it is.” And while that might sound dismissive, to me, it’s not. It grounds me. It helps me return to the acceptance of what is and not fight this every step of the way like I used to.’
Bruce Willis’ wife Emma Heming shared an emotional Father’s Day post amid his heartbreaking battle with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and aphasia
Willis, who passionately advocates for patients and caretakers dealing with incurable diseases, concluded her caption by writing: ‘Today, let’s celebrate the bada** dads, those who are here, and those we carry with us. Onward.’
On her Instagram Story, Heming shared throwback photos of her husband taking their kids to the park and the Natural History Museum.
‘I miss and mourn what was,’ she wrote. ‘I want it all back.’
Last month, Heming was honored by Maria Shriver’s Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement (WAM) at Cleveland Clinic.
She received the organization’s Caregiving Award for her ‘outstanding work in advocating for unpaid family caregivers.’
While accepting the honor she reflected on ‘the day Bruce got his diagnosis’ and how they ‘left the doctor’s office with a pamphlet and a hollow goodbye.’
‘No plan, no guidance, no hope, just shock,” she said. “The future we imagined simply vanished, and I was left trying to hold my family together, raise our two young daughters, and care for the man I love while navigating a disease I barely understood,’ Heming shared.
Heming continued: ‘I needed someone to look me in the eye and say, “This feels impossible right now, but you will find your footing. You will survive this and you will grow because of it.”‘
‘There’s no roadmap or guide to becoming a caregiver,’ Heming added. ‘We desperately need more education and support resources for those in this 24/7/365 role.’
On Sunday morning, the 46-year-old actress, who shares daughters Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 10, with legendary action star, 70, paid tribute to her longtime spouse on Instagram
‘Happy Father’s Day to all the dads living with disability or disease, showing up in the ways they can and to the children who show up for them,’ she captioned a sweet snap of Willis
Heming continued: ‘What Bruce teaches our girls goes far beyond words. Resilience, unconditional love, and the quiet strength in simply being present. This photo says so much. Love deepens. It adapts. It stays, even when everything else changes’
Since publicly announcing her husband’s diagnosis in February 2023, Heming has worked tirelessly to share information with others navigating a similar journey.
In addition to Mabel and Evelyn, Willis shares three daughters — Rumer, 36, Scout, 33, and Tallulah, 31 — with his ex-wife Demi Moore.
Rumer sweetly shared her stepmother’s post on her Instagram Story to show her support.
In May, Rumer revealed that her daughter, Louetta, who she shares with ex-boyfriend Derek Richard Thomas, is ‘obsessed’ with her grandfather.
‘Even with my dad, given the challenges that he’s dealing with, whenever we go over there to visit, his face just lights up and he gets so excited and is so sweet with her,’ she told People of her father.
Still, the mother-of-two admitted that ‘these symbolic days stir up a lot’ of emotion for her
‘My family is so incredible with her. I feel so lucky, and she’s so lucky. I mean, they are obsessed with her.’
Rumer also noted that Louetta is equally close to her grandmother.
‘They love each other. I mean, you should see her face light up when they’re on FaceTime when we’re away,’ Rumer gushed of Moore.
‘She just gets so excited and it’s sweet, and my mom is so incredible with babies. She always has been, and so it’s such a delight to see them together,’ she raved.
In addition to Mabel and Evelyn, Willis shares three daughters — Rumer, 36, Scout, 33, and Tallulah, 31 — with his ex-wife Demi Moore; seen in 2019
The Willis family has remained extremely tight knit despite Demi and Bruce’s divorce in 2000 after 13 years of marriage.
They celebrate holidays together, along with Hemming, and they have rallied around the Glass actor amid his tragic health battle.
Bruce has stepped away from public life after his diagnosis of frontotemporal aphasia in 2022.
The condition progressed and the family announced he was suffering from frontotemporal dementia in 2023.
