Demi Moore commended Emma Heming Willis for her handling of Bruce Willis’ health battle with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
The Substance star featured on The Oprah Podcast episode that broadcast on Tuesday, September 2. Demi’s conversation with host Oprah Winfrey was presented to Emma as part of a broader interview with the former British model. Emma talked about her forthcoming book, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, during the podcast. In Demi’s segment, she touched on Emma’s role as a caregiver, Emma’s book, and her personal experience and emotions regarding her ex-husband’s FTD.
“There is no road map for how to deal with this,” Demi first stated, responding to Oprah’s inquiry about her experience witnessing Emma manage being Bruce’s caregiver. The Willis family initially revealed in March 2022 that Bruce was stepping away from acting following an aphasia diagnosis, a speech disorder. Subsequently, in February 2023, they disclosed that his aphasia had advanced to a more precise diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a neurological condition that impacts speech, motor skills, and behavior.
“Obviously, being the ex-wife, even though our family is very connected, is an interesting position,” the 62-year-old actress continued.
“So much fell on Emma to really figure this whole thing out, and the most beautiful thing, and she talks about this in the book, was recognizing the importance for caregivers that they have to take care of themselves. And if they don’t put that time into making sure that they’re okay, that they then can’t show up for anyone else, reports the Mirror US.
“I have so much compassion for Emma in this, being a young woman. There’s no way that anybody could have anticipated where this was going to go,” Demi added about the 49-year-old author. “And I really think she’s done a masterful job. She has been so dedicated to forging the right path. She’s had equal amounts of fear and strength and courage in navigating this. I think that this book is gonna really be very helpful for a lot of people who are walking through this.”
Demi and Bruce tied the knot in 1987 and were married until 2000, when they finalized their divorce after initially separating in 1998. Despite their divorce, the former couple maintained a friendship while co-parenting their three daughters: Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31.
The 70-year-old Die Hard star later wed Emma in 2009, welcoming two more daughters into their lives: Mabel Ray, 13, and Evelyn Penn, 11. The two households have since merged into one tight-knit extended family unit.
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Demi also opened up about how watching Bruce battle his devastating disorder has personally affected her. “It’s difficult. It’s hard to see somebody who was so, you know, vibrant and strong and so directed shift into this other parts of themself,” she expressed.
“But, my particular perspective is – one, I really always say it’s so important just to meet them where they’re at. Don’t have an expectation of them needing to be who they were or who you want them to be.
“And when you do that, I find that there is an incredible sweetness and something that’s soft and tender and loving,” Demi went on. “And perhaps it is more playful and childlike in certain sense, because of how much more caretaking they need.”
She stressed that the “most important place” for her is “showing up and being present.”
Demi clarified it’s crucial to be present “because 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 expanded on this by saying that by staying present, there is so much. In Bruce’s case, Demi stated, “There’s still so much of him there.”She added that while “it may not always be verbal, but it is beautiful given the givens.”
Emma’s book, The Unexpected Journey, is set to release on September 9.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
