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Rumer Willis opens up about the unexpected elements of her dad Bruce Willis’ battle with frontotemporal dementia that have her feeling grateful.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
“I’m so grateful that I have a child that got to meet him,” Rumer said of her 3-year-old daughter, Louetta “Lou,” whom she shared with ex-boyfriend Derek Richard Thomas. “Because I don’t know if my sisters will have that.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
Rumer is the eldest daughter of Willis and Demi Moore, who were married in 1987, separated in 1998, and finalized their divorce in 2000. In that time, they had Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Rumer Willis<\/a> is opening up about the unexpected elements of her dad Bruce Willis<\/a>‘ battle with frontotemporal dementia that have her feeling grateful.<\/p>\n During an appearance on The Inside Edit<\/em> podcast<\/a> Monday with her best friend, stylist Maeve Reilly, Rumer explained that although she knows that “it will never be the same as it was,” after her father’s\u00a0aphasia diagnosis<\/a>\u00a0in 2022 \u2014 which progressed to a\u00a0frontotemporal dementia diagnosis<\/a>\u00a0in 2023 \u2014she remains thankful that she is able to “go over and see” her father amid his condition.<\/p>\n “I’m so grateful that I have a child that got to meet him,” Rumer said of her 3-year-old daughter, Louetta “Lou,”<\/a> whom she shared with ex-boyfriend Derek Richard Thomas. “Because I don’t know if my sisters will have that.”<\/p>\n Rumer is the eldest daughter of Willis and Demi Moore<\/a>, who were married in 1987, separated in 1998, and finalized their divorce in 2000. In that time, they had Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah<\/a>, 31.<\/p>\n Willis also shares daughters Mabel Ray Willis, 13, and Evelyn Penn Willis, 11, with wife Emma Heming Willis<\/a>.<\/p>\n Bruce Willis and Rumer Willis “I’m just so grateful for all the things that I do get,” the 37-year-old continued. “I’m so grateful that I get to go see him. I have other friends whose parents have passed and, even though our time together is different now, I’m so grateful still that I have this time.”<\/p>\n Rumer added that after growing up with her father being “this kind of macho dude,” there’s a “sweetness” and “tenderness” to him nowadays that “maybe being, you know, Bruce Willis might not have allowed him in a certain way.”<\/p>\n And, of course, Rumer shared that having her blended family has been a boon during the emotional journey of her father’s battle. “I’m so grateful for how our family has kind of rallied together in this way. And you know, we don’t do it perfectly, but we’re always striving to continue to create connection and find ways to be with each other and support each other through something that is kind of unprecedented,” she told Reilly.<\/p>\n The Die Hard<\/em> actor’s family has been transparent about the challenges that come with Bruce’s diagnosis \u2014 which has no treatment or cure. In January, Emma revealed during an interview on the Conversations With Cam<\/em>\u00a0podcast<\/a> that Willis doesn’t know he has dementia, while also revealing that he has another condition called anosognosia.<\/p>\n “There’s this term \u2014 this neurological condition that comes with FTD and other types of dementia \u2014 called anosognosia, where your brain can’t identify what’s happening to it,” Emma said. “People think this might be denial, they don’t want to go to the doctor because they’re like, ‘I’m fine’ \u2014 this is where the anosognosia comes into play. It’s not denial, it’s just that their brain is changing. This is a part of the disease.”<\/p>\n She continued, “He never connected the dots that he had this disease, and I’m really happy about that. I’m happy he doesn’t know about it.”<\/p>\n In March, Emma \u2014 who serves as Willis’ primary caretaker with the assistance of a round-the-clock health team \u2014 announced that she has launched a charity called the Emma & Bruce Willis Fund<\/a> to “help deepen understanding of FTD and ensure families facing it feel seen, supported, and less alone.”<\/p>\n According to the charity’s website, its three goals are to raise awareness, fund promising research and accelerate discovery, and support caregivers.<\/p>\n Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>EW Dispatch newsletter<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n “This journey has opened my eyes to the realities so many families face when a loved one is living with frontotemporal dementia,” Emma said during the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration<\/a>‘s Hope Rising Benefit in New York on March 12, per PEOPLE<\/a>. “I believe deeply in the importance of supporting research while also showing up for the caregivers who carry so much every day.”<\/p>\n She continued, “Through this fund, my hope is to help deepen understanding of FTD and ensure families facing it feel seen, supported, and less alone. Bruce has always led with generosity and heart, and I know he would be proud to see this effort helping families facing this disease.”<\/p>\n
Credit: Rumer Willis\/Instagram<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n