Bruce Willis’s family is continuing to cherish moments big and small in the aftermath of the actor’s dementia diagnosis.

Early in 2022, his family revealed that the beloved actor, of Die Hard, The Sixth Sense, and Armageddon fame, had been diagnosed with aphasia, a brain condition that affects communication. Less than a year later, his family shared an update on his health—he was officially diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

Bruce’s family—his wife, Emma Heming Willis, and their two children, Mabel and Evelyn, plus his ex-wife, actress Demi Moore, and their children, Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah—have been sharing glimpses into their time with Bruce ever since. (While Bruce and Demi divorced in 2000, the two have maintained a close relationship and even quarantined together back in 2020).

Recently, Emma took to Instagram to share how she’s been doing since the diagnosis. In a video, she explained that it’s been difficult—but she’s seeking out positivity where she can. “I’m asking care partners to send me photos,” Emma begins. “I think it’s so important for us to break up our thinking, which can feel, for me, very much like doom and gloom.” She continued by sharing that her optimistic social media presence isn’t always easy. “I know it looks like I’m out living my best life,” she says. “I have to make a conscious effort every single day to live the best life that I can.”

There’s a reason for keeping it up: “I do that for myself, I do that for our two children, and Bruce, who would not want me to live any other way.” But she doesn’t want to confuse people: “I don’t want it to be misconstrued that, like, I’m good,” she says. “Because I’m not. I’m not good.”

As heart-squeezing as it is to hear her say that, she finishes the video by saying that her family needs her to stay strong. “I have to put my best foot forward for the sake of myself and my family. Because again, when we are not looking after ourselves, we cannot look after anyone that we love.” It’s not easy, she says, but those pictures she’s asking for are getting her through, too. “I just want you to take a moment out of your day—and I know that your day is stressful, and I know that your day is hard—but I just want you to just break it up for a minute, just for a second, and just look for something beautiful.” Watch the video and send Emma some love here, or below, on Instagram.

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Another glimmer that is undoubtedly bringing Emma and the Willis clan some happiness is a recent addition to the family. In April, Rumer gave birth to her first child, Louetta. For Father’s Day, she honored her dad by posting a beautiful photo of Bruce holding her baby. In the caption, Rumer wrote how she’ll remember the moment forever: “Seeing my father hold my daughter today was something I will treasure for the rest of my life. His sweetness and love for her was so pure and beautiful.”

Rumer previously shared some moving images from Lou’s home birth back in April. Her mother and sisters were present, and the blended family’s love was apparent even in the Instagram comments (Emma wrote a sweet “OMG we love her so so much”).

Emma also wished Bruce a happy Father’s Day, calling him the “greatest dad [she] knows.” Demi shared a photo of Bruce with their three daughters way back in the day, saying how much they love their “#girldad,” and Scout posted a couple photos with Bruce and called out how lucky she feels to have such love in her life.

Tallulah recently shared some insight into her current relationship with her dad, too. In a May 2023 interview with Vogue, she clarified that, thankfully, her father’s condition hadn’t yet had much effect on his mobility. In fact, she said Bruce still very much “lights up” whenever she enters the room. FTD primarily affects speech and the ability to process language—as opposed to Alzheimer’s, which has more of an effect on memory loss in its earlier stages—so there’s a chance, she says, that he may always recognize her and their family.

She also painted a loving picture of their day-to-day lives. Their house is constantly filled with music—and Bruce especially loves the oldies, like Nina Simone and the Coasters. “I keep flipping between the present and the past when I talk about Bruce: he is, he was, he is, he was,” she writes. “That’s because I have hopes for my father that I’m so reluctant to let go of.”

But Tallulah also confessed that she had noticed something was wrong for a long time. Now, and because of this, she sees herself as being like an archaeologist when it comes to her father. “I find that I’m trying to document,” she notes, “to build a record for the day when he isn’t there to remind me of him and us.”

One of the ways the Willis family has documented that remaining time with their patriarch is through celebrating milestones, like Rumer’s Father’s Day post as well as several birthday posts for Bruce’s 68th back in March 2023. He gathered with his nearest and dearest to mark the occasion (with pie, of course). Demi posted photos of the celebration on her Instagram, as well as a sweet video of the group singing “Happy Birthday” to Bruce before he blew out candles. Tallulah also shared some photos of her dad throughout the years, calling him her “numero uno Bruno” in the caption.

Emma posted a montage of videos on Instagram—including many sentimental moments of Bruce with their children, and wrote in the caption, “He is pure love. He is so loved. And I’ll be loving him always.” She continued, sharing a birthday wish for her husband: “My birthday wish for Bruce is that you continue to keep him in your prayers and highest vibrations because his sensitive Pisces soul will feel it. Thank you so much for loving and caring for him too.”

When Bruce’s family announced his dementia diagnosis in February 2023, they shared a full statement on the website for the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration. In it, the family wrote that speaking up was always an important trait to him. “Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others, and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately,” the statement says. “We know in our hearts that—if he could today—he would want to respond by bringing global attention and a connectedness with those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it impacts so many individuals and their families.”

The statement ended with a few sentiments. “Bruce has always found joy in life—and has helped everyone he knows to do the same. It has meant the world to see that sense of care echoed back to him and to all of us. We have been so moved by the love you have all shared for our dear husband, father, and friend during this difficult time. Your continued compassion, understanding, and respect will enable us to help Bruce live as full a life as possible.”

We’re keeping the entire Willis family in our thoughts during this difficult time.

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    Cassie Hurwitz
    Assistant Editor

    Cassie Hurwitz (she/her) is an assistant editor at Oprah Daily, where she covers everything from culture to entertainment to lifestyle. She can typically be found in the middle of multiple books and TV shows all at once. Previously, Cassie worked at Parents, Rachael Ray In Season, and Reveal. Her love language is pizza (New York slices, Chicago deep dish, and otherwise).