Emma Heming Willis has implied that she believed the shooting of Die Hard in 1988 may have contributed to symptoms experienced by her husband, Bruce Willis, before his dementia diagnosis. Bruce Willis, who is now retired, had previously mentioned an “accident” that occurred on the set of the action movie.
The remarks from his wife came after it was revealed in 2022 that Bruce, now 70 years old, had been diagnosed with aphasia, a condition affecting his cognitive abilities and communication skills. Subsequently, it was disclosed the following year that his condition had progressed, with a more specific diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), known to initially cause changes in behavior or language issues according to the NHS.
Since then, Emma, aged 47, has been advocating for FTD awareness and recently discussed the lead-up to Bruce’s diagnosis with Fox News Digital before the release of her new book, “the Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path.”
She noted that when she noticed something was amiss with her husband, she initially attributed it to his hearing loss potentially caused by the filming of Die Hard. Emma highlighted that Bruce had shot a gun without ear protection during the movie, leading to significant hearing loss over time, which she believed affected their communication.
The book also reveals that Bruce lost a substantial portion of his hearing in one ear after filming Die Hard over 30 years ago, although it did not pose a significant issue initially. Emma wrote that before his aphasia diagnosis, Bruce began to disengage from family interactions, which made her wonder if he was simply letting their daughters engage in conversation without actively participating.
Bruce had previously mentioned the hearing loss resulting from the Die Hard incident, which also impacted his family’s understanding of his unresponsiveness in interviews and social interactions. His daughter, Rumer Willis, indicated in 2013 that his hearing loss could lead to communication difficulties and awkwardness in public settings.
Tallulah Willis, Bruce’s youngest daughter with Demi Moore, reflected that the family initially attributed his unresponsiveness to his hearing issues before his dementia diagnosis. She mentioned that the symptoms began subtly, with the family associating it with his Hollywood hearing loss from the past.
During the recent interview with Fox News Digital, Emma also highlighted other signs she observed, including Bruce’s childhood stutter resurfacing before his diagnosis. She noted that their relationship dynamics felt altered, with conversations feeling strained and lacking the empathy she expected.
If you have been impacted by this story, you can find advice and support at Dementia UK.
