Emma Heming Willis has indicated that she believed the shooting of Die Hard in 1988 may have played a part in her husband Bruce Willis’ dementia symptoms prior to his diagnosis. Bruce Willis, now retired, had previously mentioned an “accident” on the set of the action film.
Following the announcement in 2022 that Bruce, now 70, had been diagnosed with aphasia, his family disclosed that his cognitive functions were affected by the condition, which can lead to communication challenges.
It was revealed the next year that his condition had progressed, with a more specific diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) received after the initial diagnosis. This type of dementia, as explained by the NHS, usually manifests with behavioral or language changes initially.
Since then, Emma, 47, has been raising awareness about FTD and recently spoke to Fox News Digital before the launch of her new book, “The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path.” She discussed the events leading up to Bruce’s diagnosis.
When Emma noticed something amiss with her husband, she initially attributed it to his hearing loss, possibly from his work on Die Hard. She recalled that during filming, Bruce shot a gun without ear protection, causing a significant loss of hearing over time, which is a common age-related issue.
Emma suspected that the communication breakdown in their relationship was due to Bruce’s hearing loss and her feeling that he couldn’t hear her properly. She shared that she believed their lack of proper communication was linked to his hearing difficulties.
In her book, Emma mentioned that Bruce lost a considerable percentage of his hearing in one ear more than 30 years ago while filming Die Hard. Initially, this was not a major concern for them as a couple.
However, Emma noted that before his aphasia diagnosis, Bruce started to become disconnected from his family. She expressed concerns about his apparent lack of engagement during family time, wondering if he was simply letting their daughters have private conversations.
Bruce had previously talked about an accident on the set of Die Hard that led to partial hearing loss in his left ear. His family also referred to his hearing issues, with his daughter Rumer Willis highlighting his struggles in interviews due to the hearing loss from the film.
Tallulah Willis, Bruce’s youngest daughter with ex-wife Demi, mentioned that the family attributed his unresponsiveness to hearing problems before his dementia diagnosis. She described how his symptoms evolved from vague unresponsiveness, initially attributed to hearing loss from his acting career, to a broader condition.
During the recent interview with Fox News Digital, Emma also discussed other signs she observed, like Bruce’s childhood stutter resurfacing as a precursor to his diagnosis. She mentioned that their connection felt different, with conversations feeling off, and she was unaware that a lack of empathy could be a symptom of early-onset dementia.