Bruce Willis’ Family Thought His Early Signs of Dementia Were ‘Hollywood Hearing Loss’, Daughter Says: ‘This Is the Beginning of Grief’

Tallulah Willis, daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, has penned an emotional essay for Vogue in which she recounts her family coming to terms with Bruces dementia. The actors family announced in March 2022 that Willis has aphasia diagnosis, a language disorder caused by brain damage that affects a persons ability to communicate, and would be retiring from acting as a result. In February, the family confirmed that Bruces aphasia was the result offrontotemporal dementia. Tallulah writes that her family is in the beginning of grief due to Bruces condition.

Ive known that something was wrong for a long time, Tallulah writes. It started out with a kind of vague unresponsiveness, which the family chalked up to Hollywood hearing loss: Speak up! Die Hard messed with Dads ears. Later that unresponsiveness broadened, and I sometimes took it personally.

Tallulah admits that when she didnt know her fathers behavior was the early stages of dementia, she thought that he was losing interest in her as he got married to Emma Heming Willis and had two new children.

I admit that I have met Bruces decline in recent years with a share of avoidance and denial that Im not proud of [but] the truth is that I was too sick myself to handle it, she adds, recalling her own struggle with body dysmorphia. I remember a moment when it hit me painfully: I was at a wedding and the brides father made a moving speech. Suddenly I realised that I would never get that moment, my dad speaking about me in adulthood at my wedding. It was devastating.

Tallulah later writes that shes remaining grateful for every moment she gets to spend with Bruce from here on out.

Every time I go to my dads house, I take tons of photos searching for treasure in stuff that I never used to pay much attention to, she said. I have every voicemail from him saved on a hard drive. I find that Im trying to document, to build a record for the day when he isnt there to remind me of him and of us. He still knows who I am and lights up when I enter the room.

And now that Im feeling better I ask myself, How I can make him more comfortable? she adds. It feels like a unique and special time in my family, and Im just so glad to be here for it.

Emma Heming Willis has asked paparazzi to stop taking photos of Bruce, as the constant flash of bulbs can be extra disorienting for those with dementia. Bruce recently got support from his former co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger, who reflected on Bruces retirement by telling press, I think that hes fantastic. He was, always for years and years, is a huge, huge star. And I think that he will always be remembered as a great, great star. And a kind man. I understand that under his circumstances, health-wise, that he had to retire. But in general, you know, we never really retire. Action heroes, they reload.