During a Q&A with fans on her Instagram page, Rumer Willis opened up about the difficulty that comes with answering questions about her dad Bruce Willis‘ battle with frontotemporal dementia.

“People always ask me [how he’s doing] and I think it’s kind of a hard one to answer because the truth is that anybody with FTD is not doing great,” Rumer admitted regarding her father’s progress since his aphasia diagnosis in 2022, which progressed to a frontotemporal dementia diagnosis in 2023.

“But he’s doing okay in terms of somebody who’s dealing with frontotemporal dementia, you know what I mean?” she continued.

Emma Heming Willis, Rumer Willis, Tallulah Willis, Bruce Willis, and Scout Willis in 2018.

Neilson Barnard/Getty 

“The only way I feel like I could answer that in a way that’s, like, he’s doing great… how do I say this?” she went on. “It’s like those parameters don’t really work anymore in my mind, so this is an interesting question.”

In a second Story, Rumer shared what parameters she could explain her father’s current condition.

“The answer that I would give is that I’m so happy and grateful that I still get to go and hug him,” she explained. “I’m so grateful that when I go over there and give him a hug, whether he recognizes me or not, that he can feel the love I’ve given him, and I can feel it back from him. That I still see a spark of him and he can feel the love that I’m giving and so that feels really nice.”

The Reasonable Doubt actress also shared how much she appreciates that Bruce has been able to develop a relationship with her daughter, Louetta Willis, whom she shares with ex Derek Thomas.

“I just feel grateful that I get to go over there with Lou and we get to spend time with him,” she said, “and I get to feel the love that he has for me and that he puts out for me and that I can love him and be with him.”

Rumer is the eldest daughter of Bruce and Demi Moore, who were married in 1987, separated in 1998, and finalized their divorce in 2000. In that time they had Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31. 

Rumer Willis and Bruce Willis pose backstage as Rumer makes her Broadway debut in ‘Chicago’ in 2015.

Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic

Bruce also shares daughters Mabel Ray Willis, 13, and Evelyn Penn Willis, 11, with wife Emma Heming Willis.

The Die Hard actor’s family has been transparent about the challenges that come with Bruce’s diagnosis — which has no treatment or cure.

During the ABC special Emma & Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey, which aired over the summer, Emma shared that although Bruce is in “really great health overall,” his brain “is failing him.”

“The language is going, and, you know, we’ve learned to adapt,” she told Diane Sawyer. “And we have a way of communicating with him, which is just a… different way.”

Rumer Willis gives update on dad Bruce Willis’ health.

Rumer Willis/Instagram

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Emma shared that there are moments when she will see a glimmer of his joyous personality shine through and be instantly taken back to a time before his diagnosis. “Not days, but we get moments,” she said. “It’s his laugh, right? Like, he has such a hearty laugh. And, you know, sometimes you’ll see that twinkle in his eye, or that smirk, and, you know, I just get, like, transported.”

She appeared visibly emotional as she continued, “And it’s just hard to see, because as quickly as those moments appear, then it goes. It’s hard. But I’m grateful. I’m grateful that my husband is still very much here.”