Tallulah Willis Opens Up About Autism Diagnosis: 'It's Changed My Life'

Tallulah Willis is opening up and sharing a diagnosis she received last summer that altered her life.

The daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore recently shared that she was diagnosed with autism last year in an Instagram post.  Revealing her diagnosis opened the floor for her social media followers to share their own personal stories.

Tallulah, 30, shared a throwback video on Instagram recently that opened up the conversation about being diagnosed with autism as an adult last year. The post, a video clip of her at an event with her father, shows her rubbing her father's head and playing with his ear as he's doing an interview.

"Tell me you're autistic without telling me you're autistic," she captioned the clip.

Replying to a question about whether or not she received the diagnosis as a child, Tallulah gave a little more information explaining, "Actually this is the first time I’ve ever publicly shared my diagnosis. Found out this summer and it’s changed my life."

The fan replied to Tallulah, "Thank you for your response. So brave of you to share. I’m so happy you got the diagnosis and found it helpful. When done properly it can be truly life-changing, deeply validating, and empowering. The best part of the job is helping people feel understood and watching their growth. Truly so happy for you. I have no doubt you will help many others. Thank you for your bravery and openness. I hope you receive only love and support."

Tallulah opened the door for many of her followers to share their stories and ask more questions about being diagnosed as an adult. Some also commented on how her father was so calm and loving in the video clip.

"If you ever feel comfortable sharing more there are so many that could benefit," one follower wrote. Another added, "This is so powerful. The love you share with your papa. He calmed you here, his very body, and that is beautiful. You are beautiful."

Others shared their personal stories relating to Tallulah's diagnosis and thanked her for sharing and starting the conversation.

"Thank You. This is the best thing I've seen lately. You. Your Father. My son acts similarly, he's a bit aggressive, and people stare. I don't care. Thank You," one person wrote.

Another shared, "I did this to my great-grandfather. Called them “pig bristles” (they had a farm) and looked like the pigs' hair to me. I’d make him sit in his recliner and I’d pull my granny’s sewing basket behind him, stand on it and I’d sorta…mush his hair. I can still feel it on my palms.

One follower added, "I have been following her account through her journey of healing. And I must say, she is truly so brave, so honest and strong! Keep up all your amazing! You inspire more people than you may know."

Last May, Tallulah opened up about battling an eating disorder and entering psychiatric treatment at the age of 20. In a post she shared about a month ago, she talked about recovering from an eating disorder.

"ED recovery babies - sending love to you all, I’m having an intense moment of romanticizing unhealthy times and how it felt to move through the day in that size body. Just wanted to voice it because I know (hope) I’m not alone," she wrote in the caption of a carousel of photos.

"This little raggamuffin is so special and it’s strange to know that and want to give her abundance and vitality - LIFE! whilst at the EXACT same moment feeling pulled by an old desire, deep down from the pit spot in your belly, to compare to the “better” version of me. And it’s ok to be in the middle of the mess and not totally have it all sorted yet."

Tallulah's sister Rumer dropped into the comments to share, "You are magic, your truth is so vital and I’m so lucky to be your sister."

One fan shared empowering words, "Hi! And first off thank you for your transparency! I am a girl mom, a wife, a nurse, AND an ED Survivor. I have really struggled with what you are articulating at different points on my journey of healing. This journey is long. But finding that full-on self-love is possible! How you are feeling is real. And although I am a stranger- I must say, we hear you. We see you. You are beautiful! You are brave!"

Tallulah talked about her father's diagnosis and how she's struggled with it in a personal essay in Vogue last summer.

"My family announced in early 2022 that Bruce Willis was suffering from aphasia, a brain-mediated inability to speak or to understand speech, and we learned earlier this year that that symptom was a feature of frontotemporal dementia, a progressive neurological disorder that chips away at his cognition and behavior day by day," she wrote. "But I’ve known that something was wrong for a long time."

She went on to reveal her own struggles and why she felt she met her father's "decline in recent years with a share of avoidance and denial."

"The truth is that I was too sick myself to handle it. For the last four years, I have suffered from anorexia nervosa, which I’ve been reluctant to talk about because, after getting sober at age 20, restricting food has felt like the last vice that I got to hold on to," she wrote.

"When I was 25, I was admitted to a residential treatment facility in Malibu to address the depression that I had lived with through my adolescence. It was a largely therapeutic experience; for the first time, I grieved the 15-year-old misfit me, the ugly duckling."

Tallulah shared a post on Instagram announcing her piece in Vogue captioned, "Took a brave leap and shared a very honest part of life with the hopes that it resonates with people and creates connectivity in the places of loneliness."

Many of her followers left supportive and loving comments.

"Your words and your voice are SO important. Thank you for taking the leap and sharing," one fan wrote.

Another said, "I applaud your courage to talk about something so private and painful. I’m sure this will help many! And what a special tribute to your father."