Bruce Willis' Daughter Pens 'Hard' Father's Day Tribute To The Actor Amid His Struggle With Dementia

Hollywood star Bruce Willis received a heartfelt Father's Day tribute from his eldest child, Rumer Willis, as he battles frontotemporal dementia.

Rumer reflected on missing their deep conversations but expressed gratitude for their remaining moments, including Bruce's bond with her daughter.

Emma Heming Willis also honored Bruce Willis on the special day, highlighting his resilience, love, and presence. She also shared family photos and expressed a longing for the past.

Taking to Instagram on Sunday, Rumer poured her heart out in an emotional Father's Day message dedicated to her dad, Bruce Willis, as he continues to battle dementia.

Sharing a series of photos with her father, Rumer began: "Today is hard, I feel a deep ache in my chest to talk to you and tell you everything I'm doing and what's going on in my life. To hug you and ask you about life and your stories and struggles, and successes. I wish I asked you more questions while you could still tell me about it all."

While expressing how deeply she misses the father-daughter conversations they once shared, Rumer also acknowledged the moments they still get to experience together.

"I know you wouldn't want me to be sad today so I'll try to just be grateful reminding myself how lucky I am that you're my dad and that you're still with me and I can still hold you and hug you and kiss your cheek and rub your head I can tell you stories," she added.

The post included heartfelt photos of the father-daughter duo through the years, including a touching image of Bruce holding his granddaughter, Louetta, whom Rumer welcomed in 2023 with her ex, Derek Richard Thomas.

"I will be grateful for every moment I have with you," Rumer said. "I love you so much, Dad. Happy Father's Day."

The actress then added, "Sending love to all those who are in the boat with me or have lost their fathers, to the single moms who are the dads too, to my future baby daddy…"

Rumer's post resonated with many others in similar situations as they shared comments, thanking the actress for her candid message.

"Pitch Perfect" star, Brittany Snow, wrote, "In the same boat. It's so nice you know we are not alone. Sending love my friend."

Another person noted, "Beautiful and so blessed to have this special time, I felt this was at the end with my Dad and miss him so much now."

A third said, "So sorry for your losses with your father. He is an amazing person and I'm sure father."

Emma Heming Willis also marked Father's Day with a deeply moving tribute to Bruce, acknowledging the quiet strength he continues to embody as he lives with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

Alongside a heartfelt photo of herself embracing the "Pulp Fiction" star, the 46-year-old reflected on the meaning of fatherhood in the face of disease and disability, writing: "Happy Father's Day to all the dads living with disability or disease, showing up in the ways they can and to the children who show up for them."

Heming praised Bruce for the lasting lessons he imparts to their daughters, sharing: "What Bruce teaches our girls goes far beyond words. Resilience, unconditional love, and the quiet strength in simply being present."

She continued: "This photo says so much. Love deepens. It adapts. It stays, even when everything else changes. But to be fair to myself, these symbolic days stir up a lot."

In a candid moment, Heming admitted she was "profoundly sad today," and wished "things could be different for him and lighter for our family."

Referencing a common phrase within the FTD community, she added: "As they say in our FTD community, 'It is what it is.' And while that might sound dismissive, to me, it's not. It grounds me. It helps me return to the acceptance of what is and not fight this every step of the way like I used to."

She closed her message, adding: "Today, let's celebrate the badass dads, those who are here, and those we carry with us. Onward."

Heming also took to her Instagram Stories to share tender moments of Bruce with their daughters.

One photo showed the "Die Hard" actor embracing one of the girls as she sat on his lap, while another captured a sweet moment at a museum — Bruce with his arms wrapped around both Mabel and Evelyn, all smiles.

In a caption on the latter image, Heming expressed her longing for the past: "I miss and mourn what was. Even those Ugg days," she continued in a nod to Bruce's choice of footwear in the snap. "I want it all back."