Emma Heming Willis Said She ‘Had to Learn How to Communicate’ with Her and Bruce Willis’ Daughters About His Diagnosis

NEED TO KNOW

• Emma Heming Willis discussed how she communicates with her and Bruce Willis’ daughters regarding his frontotemporal dementia (FTD) diagnosis

• Bruce and Emma share daughters Mabel, 14, and Evelyn, 12; the actor also shares adult daughters Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 32, with ex-wife Demi Moore

• Emma and Bruce married in 2009, and she announced his FTD diagnosis in 2023

Emma Heming Willis is explaining how she approaches communicating with her and Bruce Willis‘ daughters regarding the beloved actor’s frontotemporal dementia (FTD) diagnosis.

Emma, 47, recently spoke with the Spanish newspaper El Pais about her experience with Bruce’s diagnosis as her book on life as a caregiver, The Unexpected Journey, publishes in Spain. The Willis family first announced in 2022 that Bruce, 71, was diagnosed with aphasia and was stepping away from acting. A year later, Emma announced his FTD diagnosis.

“Bruce has three adult daughters, so I had to learn how to communicate with them about something that I was even still trying to come to terms with as well,” Emma told the outlet.

Bruce shares adult daughters Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 32, with ex-wife Demi Moore, and he and Emma share two daughters: Mabel, 14, and Evelyn, 12.

“We always feel like we make the world and everything be rainbows and unicorns for our children. But that’s not our world. And what we’re going through as a family with their father and his disease, that’s not that world,” Emma said. “So it’s been really important for me to learn how to communicate with them in an age-appropriate way.”

She continued, “When I give them the information, I wait for them to sort of ask me questions. And when they ask me the questions, I give them truthful answers. Which isn’t always easy, but I think that helps them feel a little bit more safe in that, knowing that I’m never going to tell them something that’s not true. And that if anything changes, I’m going to let you know.”

The former model-turned-author emphasized in the interview that she has learned how to best approach communication between the family as time has passed.

“I’m not saying I do it perfectly all the time. I’m not a perfect caregiver. I’m not a perfect person. I’m not a perfect mom, of course,” she added. “I think as caregivers and parents, we’re just trying to do the best that we can. And my daughters know that.”

Emma previously discussed her decision to move Bruce into a separate home in an interview with PEOPLE in September 2025. As she said at the time, Bruce “requires a calm and serene atmosphere,” and the one-story home he currently lives in near the family’s house allows Mabel and Evelyn to more comfortably enjoy their time at home, too.

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“We have two young children, and it was just important that they had a home that supported their needs and that Bruce could have a place that supported his needs,” she said. “The kids can have playdates and sleepovers [again] and not have to walk around tiptoeing.”

She also opened up briefly about how the family is doing during an appearance on Today on May 27 to discuss her women’s brain health brand Make Time Wellness. “You know, we’re doing well,” she told host Savannah Guthrie during the interview. “My husband is supported and loved, and we’re doing the best we can under the circumstances.”

Emma and Bruce celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary on March 21. The couple met in 2007 and married in Turks and Caicos in 2009.

Emma celebrated the occasion this year publicly by sharing a romantic photo of the actor holding her on the beach in Turks and Caicos on Instagram, under which she wrote, “I was made to love him. 17 years 💍🤍.”

Read the original article on People