Bruce Willis' Daughter Reveals She's 'Missing Her Papa' Amid His Battle With Dementia

Bruce Willis' daughter, Rumer Willis, shared a touching photo of her dad holding her when she was just a toddler. 

The image was accompanied by a sad caption where she noted that she is "missing" her father, somewhat implying that she longed for the days before his dementia diagnosis.

Rumer's photo throwback of her dad comes days after her younger sister, Tallulah, shared pictures of the action star, emphasizing hurt at his current health status.

In what many see as both heartwarming and heartbreaking, the 35-year-old daughter of Hollywood icon Bruce Willis posted a throwback photo of her and her father when she was just a baby.

The image featured the actor broadly smiling while holding baby Rumer in his arms. Bruce was shirtless in the photo, while Rumer looked adorable in her sky-blue baby gown paired with a hair band of the same color.

Accompanying the cute photo was a caption that evoked a painful reminder of Bruce's current state of mind and well-being.

Rumer wrote on her Instagram page, "Really missing my papa today." This short and simple note relates to Bruce's dementia diagnosis. The actor, earlier this year, was confirmed to be suffering from frontotemporal dementia, which is a rare case.

His family has been very open about his illness, with Bruce's wife, Emma Hemming Willis, stating that they hope to use their platform and voices to push for FTD awareness. 

In the comment section of her post, fans of the actress shared their heartfelt sympathies, with many noting how painful it is to watch a loved one have dementia.

"Hugs. It's an odd kind of hard to miss someone who is still here. Dementia is a cruel beast," one person wrote.

Another fan commented, "I understand what you mean. I have a case of dementia in the family, and unfortunately, it's already quite advanced. It's tough, especially since it involves your dad. He was my hero in my childhood. Still is."

A third person said, "Bruce Willis is an amazing actor and has been my hero since Moonlighting days. Sending him and your entire family much love & light. Meanwhile, FTD can go to hell."

Actor Josh Rhett Noble, who featured in Bruce's 2022 movie, "The Wrong Place," also sympathized with Rumer, noting how he lost his dad to FTD. 

He wrote, "I love this photo. I unfortunately lost my father-in-law to FTD not long ago. I was unaware of Bruce’s diagnosis when we worked together in 2021. I feel for you so much. I appreciate your family being open about his condition and bringing awareness to this terrible disease. Sending you love and light."

Tallulah, the youngest daughter of Bruce and his ex-wife, Demi Moore, spoke candidly about her dad’s life since his frontotemporal dementia diagnosis during an appearance on the "Drew Barrymore Show."

The 29-year-old said of Bruce’s well-being, “He is the same, which I think in this regard I’ve learned is the best thing you can ask for."

Tallulah added, “I see love when I’m with him, and it’s my dad, and he loves me, which is really special." The actress disclosed that her the "Die Hard" star has an "aggressive cognitive disease," adding that it’s a “very rare” form of dementia.

When questioned on her family’s reason for being open about Bruce’s condition, Tallulah said, “Well, I think it’s twofold. On one hand, it’s who we are as a family, but also, it’s really important for us to spread awareness.”

“If we can take something that we’re struggling with as a family to help other people, to turn it around to make something beautiful about it, that’s really special for us,” she continued. “And part of what’s been a really beautiful way for me to heal through this is becoming like an archeologist to my dad’s world, to his little trinkets and doo-dads.”

Emma opened up about Bruce's health in an op-ed for Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper on November 11. She recounted how terrified she was to make the initial announcement about his diagnosis. However, she could finally “breathe” when it was done.

The model shared that it’s easier to understand her husband’s behavior and connect with the FTD community.

“Bruce’s FTD diagnosis was devastating, but it explained so much of what we’d been going through.” 

Emma continued, “His diagnosis enabled us to put things that once felt so confusing into a medical context.” The 48-year-old has found more ways to help Bruce through the ailment by reading “specific information” on the topic. She also got motivated by seeing other people who are also caregivers.

Emma noted, “With a specific diagnosis, you have a chance to find a community. You get to connect with people who understand your story immediately. You don’t even have to explain yourself.”