Emma Heming Willis revealed on Wednesday on the “Conversations with Cam” podcast, hosted by Cameron Oaks Rogers, that her husband, Bruce Willis, is unaware he’s been afflicted with frontotemporal dementia, describing it as both a “blessing and the curse.”
Due to a neurological condition called anosognosia, which prevents the brain from recognizing its own health decline, the 70-year-old actor has never “connected the dots” regarding his diagnosis.
Willis’ wife further explained that her husband’s lack of awareness is not denial, but rather a symptom in which the brain cannot understand the illness, a common aspect of FTD.
“Bruce never tapped in — he never connected the dots that he has this disease and I’m really happy about that, that he doesn’t know about it,” it was reported in an account on cleveland.com
“You just learn how to adapt and meet them where they are at,” she added.
The story added that Willis stepped away from acting in 2022 following an aphasia diagnosis, a disorder that impairs communication abilities.
In an interview with Diane Sawyer in August 2025, Heming came forward with news that her husband now resides in a separate home staffed with full-time caregivers as a way to better serve both his medical needs and their daughters’ daily lives.
“Bruce would want that for our daughters,” Heming told Sawyer. “He would want them to be in a home that was more tailored to their needs, not his needs.”
What’s more, while Willis may not grasp the diagnosis, she noted that he is still present in his body and recognizes his family.
According to a story on variety.com , the actor’s wife stated: “He is still very much present in his body… when someone says to me, ‘Does Bruce still know who you are?’ Yes he does, because he doesn’t have Alzheimer’s, he has FTD. He has a way with connecting with me, our children, that might not be the same as you would connect with your loved one but it’s still very beautiful and meaningful. It’s just different. You just learn how to adapt.”
And in an Instagram post on extratv, Heming elaborated, “People think this might be denial, like they don’t want to go to the doctor because they’re like, ‘I’m fine, I’m fine,’ actually, this is the anosognosia that comes into play. It’s not denial. It’s just that their brain is changing. This is a part of the disease.”
Background on Willis’ condition
The family announced in 2023 that his earlier aphasia diagnosis had progressed to frontotemporal dementia, a condition that affects behavior, language, and, in his case, communication abilities.
Emma Heming Willis continues to manage his care, emphasizing that he is loved and supported.
Throughout the years, the actor’s family has been open about the challenges of his condition.