‘Something Was Wrong’: Bruce Willis’ Daughter Recalls His 1st Symptoms When She Thought Dad Had Lost Interest in Her

• Bruce Willis’ daughter Tallulah Willis opened up about how she noticed her father’s early symptoms of Frontotemporal dementia
• She did not handle it well at first because of her illness and self-esteem issues
• Now she loves being around her father and capturing every moment

Tallulah Willis, the youngest daughter of Bruce Willis, and his ex-wife Demi Moore spoke about the early moments of her father’s symptoms and how that affected their relationship.

The Willis family announced in 2022 that the action legend was diagnosed with aphasia, a brain disorder that affects a person’s ability to speak or comprehend language. However, the family later realized that Willies was dealing with frontotemporal dementia.

Frontotemporal dementia is a neurological disorder affecting a person’s cognition and behavior daily. But since the symptoms were not as obvious initially, Tallulah said she knew something was wrong with her father and couldn’t figure out a reason behind it.

The 29-year-old remembered the signs coming up through his vague unresponsiveness, but the family thought Hollywood had ruined his hearing.

As Willis’ unresponsiveness worsened, Tallulah admitted to taking it personally. The “Die Hard” actor had just welcomed two children with his wife, Emma Heming Willis, so Tallulah took her father’s ignorance as a sign of disinterest in her.

However, her insecurities led her further from the truth since she did not know what her father was dealing with. Talluhlah also had other issues with her appearance that influenced her judgment toward her father.

Willis’ daughter admitted that she was not proud of how she confronted her father’s diagnosis but explained, “The truth is that I was too sick myself to handle it.”

Tallulah confessed that she struggled with anorexia nervosa, which she was scared to speak about. But the actress decided to confront her deep-rooted issues with her body.

When Tallulah was 20, she got sober, but restricting herself from food was something she found comfort in. At 25, the actress was admitted to a treatment facility to address her depression.

The experience helped her address the 15 years of being extremely self-critical. “It was a largely therapeutic experience,” Tallulah remarked.

She was diagnosed with ADHD, and being on the correct medication improved her life. For the first time in years, the 29-year-old felt smart. This new outlook on life inspired her to rock her pixie cute.

Speaking more on her body dysmorphia, Tallulah said it took her years to understand that aging is uncontrollable and that, with time, her physical features would change.

Part of her appearance insecurities was because she was labeled as her father’s twin from the time she was born; therefore, Tallulah had a tough time accepting that she did not look like her mother.

Tallulah candidly confessed that she believed her masculine face was the reason behind her “unlovability,” but with time came healing, so she is much kinder to herself now. The actress expressed, “I was/am inherently valuable and worthy, at any life stage, at any size, with any hairdo! (As are you).”

“The Whole Ten Yards” star acknowledged that self-confidence and feeling good about yourself is what everyone strives for, but she understood that feelings of doubt can overwhelm a person.

Therefore, when those feelings creep in, Tallulah advised people to not feel ashamed or undermind their feelings but to understand that they were dealing with a severe psychological issue.

After being buried in sadness, Tallulah has healed and is happy to be a reliable person for her family. Through working on herself, her relationship with her father has also improved.

The actress said she loves holding her father’s hand and being present in the moment with him. Tallulah has developed a curiosity about her surroundings; every time she is at her father’s house, she captures every moment.

Whether it is the flowers or candid moments with Willis, she wants to capture as many moments to look back on when her father is gone. Tallulah has also saved every voicemail from her father on a hard drive.

Tallulah knows that the journey of healing from her old habits and watching her father fight a harsh disease is the beginning of grieving. But from this experience, she realized the truth behind loving yourself before you can love someone else.

According to his daughter Willis loves to walk around the house. He is mostly found in his open-plan kitchen or office. Although the dementia has affected her father’s brain, she loves that he has not lost his mobility.

On Willis’ birthday, Tallulah shared a childhood picture of the action legend carrying her. She expressed how privileged she felt to have witnessed her father take on various characters.

The actress also admitted feeling embarrassed whenever people discovered her full name, but she is proud to be Tallulah Belle Bruce Willis. She ended the long emotional caption: “I love the love I have for you, and I am proud to be your Booski.”

Things have not been easy for the Willis family, and despite how heartbreaking it is to see the actor lose bits of himself, they are grateful to have a precise diagnosis. Tallulah and the rest of the family are always beside Willis as he navigates this challenging time.