Emma Heming Willis reveals why she’s been so open about her family’s decision, despite knowing “the criticism and the judgment that people receive is off the charts.”
Emma Heming Willis, the wife of Bruce Willis, shared why she she revealed her husband — who is battling Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) — is living in a second, separate home with his care team, knowing the backlash such decisions sometimes comes with.
Appearing on the Tuesday, October 28, episode of NewsNation’s Elizabeth Vargas Reports, Emma said the public’s reaction to decisions like her can be “off the charts,” as reported by Us Weekly.
“The criticism and the judgment that people receive is off the charts,” the 49-year-old stated during the emotional sit-down. “But I wanted to be very transparent, and I hope that it would support the next caregiver who has to make a really hard decision like the one that I had to make.”
The mother of two explained that this wasn’t some snap decision and that it was an incredibly tough call to make for the entire family. ““I think that it’s the hardest decision for anyone to have to make, Emma explained. “I mean, that didn’t come lightly. These are hard decisions that we have to make as caregivers.”
Bruce Willis’ Wife Emma Says Their Young Daughters Are ‘Grieving’ Their Father During Dementia Battle
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Emma made it clear that her primary concern was making the “best and safest decision” for both Bruce, 70, and their young daughters, Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11. “We have young children in our house,” she noted, before sharing a poignant detail about the action star’s wishes.
“I know that Bruce wouldn’t want our children’s lives to be clouded by his diagnosis,” she added. “And I wanted other caregivers to feel seen about this idea of that if it comes time to place their loved one in a care facility.”
(Sidenote: the Die Hard star is also the father of three older daughters, Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31, with ex-wife Demi Moore)
Emma first broke the news about Bruce’s new, separate setup during the Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey – A Diane Sawyer Special — which dropped on Hulu on August 26 — explaining that the single-story residence was closer to their family home and “more tailored to their needs, not his needs,” referring to the kids. Despite the separate addresses, the family is clearly still close, with Emma confirming that she and the girls spend “a lot” of time at Bruce’s place, stopping by for breakfast and dinner visits.
Emma Heming Willis Reveals Heartbreaking Way She Told Daughters About Bruce’s Move Into 2nd Home
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She also revealed the heartbreaking way she told her daughters about Bruce’s second home in her new book, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path.
“We’ve come to a point in Daddy’s disease where the care he requires is changing. It has to be more tailored to his every need,’ I told them. ‘And you should be in a home that is more tailored to your needs now,'” she wrote. “‘Also, Daddy would want you to have playdates, sleepovers, and more freedom than you’ve been able to have here. That would make him so happy.'”
Heming Willis assured the girls it would be their “second home,” filled with some of their own belongings. She described Bruce’s new space as “a place they’d keep personal things like toys, arts and crafts supplies, bathing suits, pjs, and games, and that we could go stay with him anytime they wanted.”
While she admitted the move was “painful,” she said it was ultimately what Bruce would have wanted.
“Even though they’d lived with his disease for so long that they understood, and even though this decision ensures Bruce’s overall well-being and safety and allows our young children to thrive, it was an uncertain and painful time for us,” she explained. “In fact, it’s still painful for me. After all, this is my husband, and having him in another home was not part of the future we’d mapped out together. You really can’t dream this stuff up.”
