Bruce Willis’s Condition Leaves Daughters Concerned About Genetic Risks

More than two years after Bruce Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), his daughter Rumer Willis decided to proactively check her own health risks.

Rumer Willis recently opened up to People about how she faces health issues in her family, while admitting that there were times she took her own self-care for granted.

The eldest daughter of movie star Demi Moore shared that she chose to learn more about her health because of a family history with various illnesses. Beyond concerns about dementia, the actress also pointed to cases of relatives who have battled breast cancer and other health issues.

Bruce Willis’s Daughter: “I Miss My Dad”

Speaking about her father’s condition, Rumer Willis said: “I really miss my dad, I miss a different version of him. There are days that are really hard. I try to prioritize being present and accepting of who he is right now. The truth is, to be resilient, you have to learn to embrace both of those things at the same time.”

Rumer Willis revealed that she underwent testing to evaluate her risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, especially given the family history associated with the condition: “I did a test to check my risk for Alzheimer’s, which is obviously pretty important. I wanted to get checked because of the family medical history. My results came back fairly standard, but that also means there is still some risk, even if it’s not super high.”

Rumer Willis is currently partnering with Function, a healthcare service that offers over 160 comprehensive lab tests alongside diagnostic imaging and assessment programs. Following her father’s diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia, she underwent APOE gene testing to assess her risk factors related to Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition to supporting Bruce Willis throughout his battle with FTD, the actor’s family has reportedly planned to donate his brain to scientific research after his death, according to Eastern Eye.

The decision aims to provide researchers with additional data to better understand the brain changes associated with FTD, ultimately contributing to a deeper understanding of a disease that currently has no cure. According to reports, Bruce Willis’s second wife, Emma Heming Willis, along with other family members, supports turning the Die Hard star’s illness journey into a contribution to research—continuing their ongoing efforts to raise awareness for FTD and support affected families.

Bruce Willis is completely unaware of his dementia diagnosis

Bruce Willis’s wife, Emma Heming Willis, revealed on “The Unexpected Journey” podcast that Bruce Willis has no awareness that he is suffering from frontotemporal dementia.

Appearing in this new interview, Emma Heming Willis explained her husband’s condition—the famed star Bruce Willis: “I think people assume that this is just normal. There’s a term, a neurological condition, that comes along with FTD and other forms of dementia called anosognosia, where the brain just cannot recognize what is happening.”

“People think it might be denial, like they don’t want to go to the doctor because they think they’re fine. In reality… this is anosognosia,” Emma continued. “Bruce never realized it. He never thought he had this disease. I’m actually happy about that. I’m really glad he doesn’t know about it.”

“When people ask me, ‘Does Bruce still recognize you?’ I say yes, because he doesn’t have Alzheimer’s, he has FTD (frontotemporal dementia),” the actor’s wife added. “He has a way of connecting with me, with our children—it may not be the way you connect with your loved one, but it is still beautiful and meaningful. It’s just different. You just have to learn to adapt.”

Bruce Willis’s family first announced his aphasia diagnosis in 2022. Aphasia is a language disorder caused by brain damage that impairs a person’s ability to communicate. A year later, in February 2023, the family announced that the diagnosis had progressed to frontotemporal dementia. The actor’s family wrote on social media: “While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis.”

In an interview with ABC News’s Diane Sawyer last August, Heming Willis shared: “Bruce is still very active. Overall, Bruce’s health is great. It’s just his brain that is failing… His language skills are declining, and we’ve learned to adapt. We have a way of communicating with him, it’s just… a different way.”

Heming Willis told Sawyer at the time that she first noticed something was wrong when Bruce began speaking less during social gatherings, despite usually being “talkative and very enthusiastic.”

“When the family gathered, he seemed to become a bit quieter,” she explained. “He seemed distant, detached. It wasn’t like the old Bruce, who was always warm and affectionate. The fact that he became the complete opposite was alarming and terrifying.”

Demi Moore Reflects on Her Post-Divorce Relationship with Bruce Willis

Demi Moore and Bruce Willis were married from 1989 to 2000 and share three daughters: Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah.

Speaking with Variety in an interview published on Feb. 6 regarding her Oscar nomination for The Substance, the 62-year-old actress touched on her relationship with Bruce Willis, 69, whom she divorced in 2000 after 13 years of marriage.

Bruce Willis married his current wife, Emma Heming Willis, in 2009. He retired from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia in 2022, followed by a subsequent frontotemporal dementia diagnosis in 2023.

“We are always going to be a family, just in a different form,” Moore said of Willis, with whom she shares daughters Rumer, 36, Scout, 33, and Tallulah, 31. Willis also has two daughters, Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 10, with Emma.

“For me, there was never any question. You show up because that’s what you do for the people you love,” Moore added.

According to Variety, Moore visits Willis weekly and serves as a source of support for Emma, 46, as well as their daughters. “I hope it encourages people to realize that there is another way to do things. There’s a way to co-parent with love,” Moore said of the friendship she has maintained with Willis since their split.

Moore’s comments echoed her remarks to CNN during a Dec. 5, 2024, interview with journalist Christiane Amanpour: “What was important to me, even when Bruce and I separated and divorced, was the recognition that we were a family. And we will always be a family, just in a different form.”

Moore also provided an update on Willis’s health to CNN: “Given the circumstances, he’s in a very stable place right now.” Bruce Willis was seen in public for the first time since his dementia diagnosis in a video shared by Emma on Instagram on Jan. 16.