Bruce Willis' Wife Reveals Shocking Condition He Suffers From That Made Him Unaware Of His Mental Decline

Bruce Willis' wife, Emma Heming Willis, has revealed that the former actor never really knew of his health challenges, frontotemporal dementia, due to a condition.

Speaking on "Conversations with Cam," Emma described this lack of awareness as both a relief and a burden.

Despite the progressive diagnosis, she shared that Bruce Willis continues to connect with his family in meaningful ways as they adapt to a new reality together.

In an upcoming episode of "Conversations with Cam," hosted by Cameron Oaks Rogers, Emma Heming Willis shared that her husband Bruce Willis never fully realized that he was living with frontotemporal dementia.

Rather than seeing this as purely tragic, she described it as both a relief and a burden. "Bruce never, never tapped in," she said, adding that she's grateful he doesn't have the awareness of what's happening to him.

Emma explained that Bruce experiences anosognosia, a neurological condition in which the brain cannot perceive its own illness.

She noted that it's often mistaken for denial, but it's actually a symptom of the disease itself.

"It's where your brain can't identify what is happening to it," she explained, meaning what others see as decline feels normal to him.

"People think this might be denial, like they don't want to go to the doctor because they're like, 'I'm fine, I'm fine,' actually, this is the anosognosia that comes into play. It's not denial. It's just that their brain is changing. This is a part of the disease," Emma added, per People Magazine.

The Willis family publicly shared Bruce's frontotemporal dementia diagnosis in 2023.

The condition affects the frontal and temporal regions of the brain, leading to changes in speech, behavior, personality, and movement. It is progressive and is one of the most common forms of dementia in people under 60.

Despite the challenges, Emma emphasized that Bruce remains present in meaningful ways. As his condition evolves, the family has learned to evolve with him.

"He has a way of connecting with me, our children, that might not be the same as you would connect with your loved one, but it's still very beautiful," she said. "It's still very meaningful. It's just — it's just different. You just learn how to adapt."

That adaptation to Bruce's illness included one of the most difficult decisions Emma has ever had to make.

Last September, she chose to move the actor into a nearby home explicitly designed to meet his care needs.

Speaking to People, Emma described the choice as heartbreaking but necessary, explaining that Bruce requires a "calm and serene atmosphere."

The one-story house, considered the family's "second home," offers round-the-clock care while also giving their daughters, Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11, the freedom to enjoy a more typical childhood.

Despite the challenges dementia brings, Emma continues to focus on finding moments of joy.

Speaking at the End Well 2025 conference in November, she shared that the family still looks forward to the holidays.

"It's joyous. It's just different," the former model said, per People, noting that Christmas remains special, even if it doesn't look the way it once did.

Emma also highlighted how difficult holidays can be for families facing dementia, but stressed the importance of holding onto traditions, even joking that "Die Hard" still counts as a Christmas movie.

"Life goes on," she said. "Life goes on. It just goes on. Dementia is hard, but there is still joy in it. I think it's important that we don't paint such a negative picture around dementia. We are still laughing. There is still joy. It just looks different."

Meanwhile, Demi Moore has also been reflecting on her own memories of her ex-husband, Bruce, recently sharing a lighthearted moment from their early years together.

During a Q&A conversation with Kate Hudson at a private screening of "Song Sung Blue" at Soho House in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Jan. 7, the 63-year-old actress explained why the film resonated so deeply with her.

Moore revealed that Neil Diamond's music was a constant presence in her home when she was married to Willis, whom she was with from 1987 to 2000.

According to Moore, Willis had a long-standing tradition he called "Neil Diamond Day," which happened every week.

"Watching the movie just kept reminding me of when he would blast Neil Diamond," she recalled, laughing. "I'd ask what was happening, and he'd just say, "And he said, 'No, it's Neil Diamond Day.l"

She added that the ritual continued for years, noting that Willis was a devoted fan, a love for Diamond she shared with him.