Bruce Willis, the beloved Die Hard star, was recently seen in Santa Monica, California, during a rare public outing.

The 69-year-old actor, who was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in early 2023, appeared relaxed as he joined a close friend for a drive and coffee stop.

Dressed casually in a white short-sleeved shirt and a black cap, Willis seemed to enjoy the moment, offering a glimpse into his quieter life away from Hollywood.

This appearance comes as his family continues to provide updates on his health, sharing their journey and efforts to bring awareness to the challenges of dementia.

Willis’s wife, Emma Heming Willis, has been vocal about the family’s approach to dealing with his diagnosis, particularly for their daughters, Mabel (12) and Evelyn (10). In an interview with Town & Country Magazine, Heming shared her philosophy of openness.

“I’ve never tried to sugarcoat anything for them,” she said. “They’ve grown up with Bruce declining over the years. I’m not trying to shield them from it.”

Heming also highlighted the importance of addressing her daughters’ questions about their father’s condition. “If children ask questions, they’re ready to know the answer,” she explained, adding that while they don’t focus on the terminal nature of the disease, her daughters are aware that their father’s health won’t improve.

Determined to preserve the family’s strength, Heming emphasized, “Bruce wouldn’t want FTD to take our whole family down.”

Support from Loved Ones

Demi Moore, Willis’s ex-wife and the mother of his three older daughters-Rumer (36), Scout (33), and Tallulah (30)-has also been candid about the situation.

At the Hamptons International Film Festival, she described Willis’s condition as “stable” and offered insight into her approach.

“When you’re holding on to what was, I think it’s a losing game,” Moore said. “But when you show up to meet them where they are, there is great beauty and sweetness.”

Tallulah echoed this sentiment during an interview with Today, reflecting on her father’s resilience and the love that surrounds him. “There are painful days, but there’s so much love,” she said.

In February, Willis‘s family issued a statement to highlight the realities of FTD, which they described as “the most common form of dementia” yet one that lacks treatments.

They expressed hope that Willis‘s story could shine a light on the disease, inspiring further research and awareness.

Emma Heming Willis Is Fighting a War on Behalf of Her Husband Bruce

KC: I relate to what you’re going through. When my husband was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer, my girls were just five and one. I think about your kids and trying to explain what’s happening to their dad. How have you been able to help them understand the situation?

EHW: This disease is misdiagnosed, it’s missed, it’s misunderstood, so finally getting to a diagnosis was key so that I could learn what fronto­temporal dementia is and I could educate our children. I’ve never tried to sugarcoat anything for them. They’ve grown up with Bruce declining over the years. I’m not trying to shield them from it.

KC: How old were they when he first started showing symptoms?

EHW: I say that FTD whispers, it doesn’t shout. It’s hard for me to say, “This is where Bruce ended, and this is where his disease started to take over.” He was diagnosed two years ago, but a year prior we had a loose diagnosis of aphasia, which is a symptom of a disease but is not the disease.

KC: When you finally did get the diagnosis and you had a name to put to what Bruce was experiencing, how did you handle it?

EHW: What I learned from our therapist was that if children ask questions, they’re ready to know the answer. If we could see that Bruce was struggling, I would address it with the kids so they could understand, but this disease is chronic, progressive, and terminal. There is no cure. Obviously, I don’t like to speak about the terminal side of this with them, nor have they asked. They know that Daddy’s not going to get better.

There is no treatment, which is why I’m out there raising awareness, so that they can see that we have some agency in this. I’m not going to allow FTD to take our whole family down. Bruce wouldn’t want that. They’re going to see me fight for our family, have some hope, and help the next family out there.

This is not the opportunity that I would want, but it’s the opportunity that’s been presented. I wanted them to see us come out with our family statement, and I get goosebumps thinking about it how it was received with so much love and compassion. We’ve been able to raise awareness on a global scale, and they could see the reach and impact that their father has. That’s a beautiful thing.

KC: You’re also close to Bruce’s adult children. How have you been able to involve the whole family in his care?

EHW: The family respects the way I’m looking after him; they really support me. If I need to vent, if I need to cry, if I need to rage—because all of that can happen and it’s okay to have those feelings—they are always there to listen. I’m so thankful that we are this blended family. They’re very supportive, very loving, and very helpful, and a lot of people don’t have that.

KC: Can you describe how the disease has manifested itself?

EHW: For Bruce, it started with language. He had a severe stutter as a child. He went to college, and there was a theater teacher who said, “I’ve got something that’s going to help you.” From that class, Bruce realized that he could memorize a script and be able to say it without stuttering. That’s what propelled him into acting. Bruce has always had a stutter, but he has been good at covering it up. As his language started changing, it [seemed like it] was just a part of a stutter, it was just Bruce. Never in a million years would I think it would be a form of dementia for someone so young.

KC: Why do you think there hasn’t been more research into this disease? This must be maddening for you.

EHW: It’s this underdog of a disease, and I don’t know why. Now I am raising my voice and trying to have legislators hear the definition of what FTD is and realize there is so much work to do. I’m going to do the best I can to raise awareness to get to a treatment or a cure. In New York, State Senator Michelle Hinchey, whose father, Maurice Hinchey, had primary progressive aphasia frontotemporal dementia, has become such an incredible advocate. I’ve been following her lead in a lot of things. I was in New York a couple of months ago to support her for this FTD registry, so that when anyone in the state of New York is diagnosed, it gets recorded. What she’s doing in New York I’m copying and pasting here in California. If she can get the FTD registry done in New York, I’m going to try to bring that here. I didn’t know anything about this type of advocacy, so I’m starting at the ground, going to the state capital and raising my voice.

KC: You’re in a position where you can afford care for Bruce, but a lot of families are not able to do that. And I’m sure you think, How in the world are they getting by?

EHW: This disease takes a team, but some people are doing it solo, and I don’t know how. Because I have this support in place, I’m able to be a mother to my children, continue my work, be the best caregiver I can be to my husband. I also have the energy, because of that support, to be able to go out and raise awareness. I also feel guilty about the access that I have that other people do not. So, as much as it’s important to raise awareness for FTD, my hope is that someone in government will understand that caregivers need support. Paid caregiving is very expensive, and rightly so; caregivers deserve absolutely every single cent that they earn, but the average American can’t afford it.

KC: You have formed a meaningful community on social media by sharing your story. Tell me why you wanted to do that.

EHW: It’s a beautiful thing when you can be in a room with other care partners who have been on this journey and understand it. Being able to connect more with social media, I wanted other people to know that they’re not alone.

KC: It sounds as if it was more than just controlling the narrative. It was about joining and even building a community.

EHW: I’m writing a book for caregivers right now. It’s not just about how to care for your loved one, it’s about how to look after yourself in the process. All these experts and clinicians who have helped me find my own footing in this have said, “You cannot be a caring partner for your loved one if you are not caring for yourself.” This book is about all the emotions that come with caregiving: the sadness, the grief, how traumatic it is, but also resentment and anger, and all these emotions that you’re not allowed to talk about. It’s the book that I wish I had been handed when we got the FTD diagnosis. I wish I had heard from someone, like, “I know this feels horrible and very traumatic, but you’re going to be okay.”

KC: It’s a loss, right?

EHW: We had so many plans, so many beautiful things we wanted to do with our girls, so many things that we wanted to experience together. You just rip that page out completely, and then how do you rewrite the story? I’m learning how to take some control back. It might not be the most beautiful story I could have thought of, but there are cracks of light. There’s been an enormous amount of strength and a lot of beautiful things that have come from this diagnosis, and I’m trying to throw it back into the pot so other people can know that they will be okay over time.

KC: Obviously, this has been a terrible experience, but also I’m hearing you say it has brought about incredible growth. I’m curious how it has changed you.

EHW: I’m a rule follower type, and Bruce is the opposite of that. I’ve learned so much from him about how to be able to use your voice and do good. This is bigger than me, and as Bruce would say, “You gotta get outta your own way, Emma.” That’s what I’m really trying to do—be brave and bold and things that I was not prior to this.

Bruce Willis, 69, is seen on rare outing in Los Angeles amid his dementia battle

Bruce Willis was spotted on a rare outing with a close pal as they enjoyed a drive in Santa Monica, California on Thursday.

The Die Hard actor, 69 – who was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia earlier last year in February – could be seen sitting in the passenger seat of a sleek, black vehicle as the pair headed to their destination.

Willis kept it casual during the daytime excursion by donning a short-sleeved, white shirt as well as a black cap on top of his head.

Bruce and his friend also stopped to grab a coffee as they stepped out in the cooler, California weather.

In 2022, his family also revealed that the Hollywood star would be ‘stepping away’ from his successful acting career after being diagnosed with aphasia.

Heming told the outlet that their children don’t tend ‘to speak about the terminal side of this with them, nor have they asked.’

However, she expressed that Mabel and Evelyn ‘know that Daddy’s not going to get better.’

Emma said that she was not going to let ‘FTD to take our whole family down. Bruce wouldn’t want that,’ while adding that she hopes to help the ‘next family out there.’

While talking to the publication, she also revealed that the return of Bruce’s childhood stutter initially masked his cognitive decline before being diagnosed with dementia.

‘As his language started changing, it [seemed like it] was just a part of a stutter, it was just Bruce.’

She then admitted, ‘Never in a million years would I think it would be a form of dementia for someone so young.’

Amid his health battle, his loved ones have continuously given his fans updates – including Demi Moore.

Last month, The Substance actress expressed that his condition was ‘stable’ while attending the 2024 Hamptons International Film Festival in New York.

‘You know, I’ve said this before. The disease is what the disease is. And I think you have to be in real deep acceptance of what that is. But for where he’s at, he is stable,’ she stated during a panel, per People. 

‘What I always encourage is to just meet them where they’re at. When you’re holding on to what was, I think it’s a losing game.’

Moore added, ‘But when you show up to meet them where they’re at, there is great beauty and sweetness.’

And amid his aphasia and dementia battle, his daughter Tallulah expressed on Today in September that the retired actor is surrounded by ‘so much love.’ 

‘He’s doing stable, which in this situation is good. And it’s hard; there’s painful days – but there’s so much love.’

She continued, ‘And it really shown me to not take any moment for granted and I really do think that we’d be best friends. I really do think that he is very proud of me.’

In February, Bruce’s family issued a statement on Instagram to reveal his FTD diagnosis.

At the time, they explained that it is the ‘most common form of dementia’ but added there are currently ‘no treatments for the disease.’

‘As Bruce’s condition advances, we hope that any media attention can be focused on shining a light on this disease that needs far more awareness and research.’

‘Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others, and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately,’ they added.

‘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.’