Demi Moore Opens Up on Bruce Willis’ Dementia Challenge

Demi Moore opened up about how tough it’s been to witness ex-husband Bruce Willis’ dementia diagnosis progress.

“It’s difficult,” the actress, 62, recalled on a recent podcast appearance. “It’s hard to see somebody who was so vibrant and strong and so directed sift into these other parts of themselves.”

Moore was previously married to Willis, now 70, from 1987 to 2000. The exes share three daughters: Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31. While Willis moved on with wife Emma Heming Willis in 2009, Moore and the now-retired action star have remained amicable. (Willis also shares daughters Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11, with Heming Willis, 47.)

In 2022, Willis was diagnosed with aphasia, a rare type of dementia, and retired from acting. Willis’ family has been by his side as he battles the condition.

“It’s so important just to meet them where they’re at. Don’t have a particular expectation of them needing to be who they were or who you want them to be,” Moore recalled of being by Willis’ side during the podcast. “When you do that, I find that there is an incredible sweetness and something that’s soft and tender and loving. Perhaps it is more playful and child-like in a certain sense because of how much more caretaking they need.”

Moore added that for her, “showing up and being present” for Willis and their daughters is her top priority.

“If you project where it’s going, it only creates anxiety. If you replay where it was and what you’ve lost, it only creates anxiety and grief,” she continued. “There’s still so much of him there, it may not always be verbal, but it is beautiful given the givens.”

Heming Willis also appeared on the same podcast episode and agreed with Moore’s sentiments.

“She’s right. It’s about seeing beauty there,” she said. “As hard as it is to lose someone that we love, we are able to tap into what it is.”

Moore gave credit to Heming Willis for taking on the caretaker role for her husband.

“There is no road map for how to deal with this … obviously, being the ex-wife, even though our family is very connected, is an interesting position,” she explained. “So much fell on Emma to really figure this whole thing out.”

Moore added that she also has “so much compassion” for Heming Willis.

“There’s no way that anybody could have anticipated where this was going to go. I really think she’s done a masterful job,” she gushed. “She has been so dedicated to forging the right path. She’s had equal amounts of fear and strength and courage in navigating this.”

Last month, Heming Willis sat down with Diane Sawyer to give an update on the Die Hard star and his condition. She revealed that Willis now lives in a separate nearby residence with full-time care.

Related: Bruce Willis’ Family Wants to Be ‘Transparent’ About His Dementia Battle

A strong support system. Bruce Willis is surrounded by people who love him amid his battle with frontotemporal dementia. The 67-year-old Sixth Sense star’s ex-wife Demi Moore — with whom he shares daughters Rumer, 32, Scout, 31, and Tallulah, 29 — revealed the actor’s new diagnosis via Instagram earlier this month on behalf of his […]

“It was one of the hardest decisions that I’ve had to make so far,” she told Sawyer. “But I knew, first and foremost, Bruce would want that for our daughters. You know, he would want them to be in a home that was more tailored to their needs, not his needs.”

The news of the actor living at a different residence sparked some backlash from trolls onlines, but Heming Willis defended the decision.

“Too often, caregivers are judged quickly and unfairly by those who haven’t lived this journey or stood on the front lines of it,” she wrote via Instagram on Friday, August 29. “Sharing openly may invite opinions, but more importantly, it creates connection and validation for those actually navigating the realities of caregiving every day. That’s who I share for and so I can build a deeper connection with a community that understands this journey 💙.”