Emma Heming Willis initially attributed her husband Bruce Willis’ early dementia symptoms to hearing loss he sustained while filming the 1988 action movie “Die Hard,” according to revelations in her new memoir released this week.
The 47-year-old former model disclosed that when she first noticed communication issues with the 70-year-old actor, she believed they stemmed from an on-set incident during the filming of the original “Die Hard” movie. Willis had fired a gun underneath a table multiple times without wearing ear protection, resulting in significant hearing damage to one ear.
Heming Willis explained that she originally thought miscommunication between the couple was occurring because Willis could not hear her properly. She indicated that this led her to believe his hearing issues were the reason they were not communicating as effectively as they previously had.
The hearing loss, which Heming Willis stated, “That took out a huge percentage of his hearing” in one ear, had never posed significant problems when the couple first got together before their 2009 marriage.
The revelations appear in Heming Willis’ memoir “The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path,” which details her experience as a caregiver following Willis’ diagnosis with frontotemporal dementia in 2023. The diagnosis came after Willis was initially diagnosed with aphasia in 2022, a condition that affects communication abilities.
Heming Willis noticed Willis beginning to withdraw during family dinners, initially assuming he was simply allowing his three older daughters from his previous marriage to Demi Moore to engage in conversation. She described observing him appearing to “check out” during these gatherings, which she attributed to his hearing difficulties, making it easier for him to disengage from conversations.
Additional early symptoms included the return of a severe childhood stutter that Willis had learned to manage. Heming Willis noted that one of the first warning signs was noticing his stutter returning, accompanied by changes in their relationship dynamic. She described their conversations and connection as feeling different and difficult to understand.
The hearing damage from “Die Hard” has been previously acknowledged by Willis and his family members. In a 2007 interview, Willis described suffering from two-thirds hearing loss in his left ear due to an accident during filming. His daughter Rumer Willis, now 37, had previously suggested in 2013 that her father’s hearing difficulties sometimes made him appear awkward during interviews.
Another daughter, Tallulah Willis, indicated in 2023 that the family at first attributed Willis’ unresponsiveness to hearing issues before his dementia diagnosis. She described how family members would reference the hearing loss by saying, “Die Hard messed with Dad’s ears” when explaining communication difficulties.
The progression of Willis’ condition significantly affected his marriage, with Heming Willis admitting she contemplated divorce before understanding the medical cause of the changes in her husband’s behavior. She described feeling as though she was waking up next to someone else and that Willis was not the man she had married.
Following Willis’ official diagnosis, Heming Willis indicated that receiving medical confirmation provided relief despite the painful nature of the situation. She described the diagnosis as helping her realize that the caring and compassionate man she had fallen in love with remained present, allowing her to forgive previous misunderstandings and reconnect with her husband.
Willis now lives in a separate residence where he receives full-time medical care, a decision Heming Willis defended as being in the best interests of both Willis and their two young daughters, Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11. She emphasized that the arrangement ensures that Willis receives optimal care while maintaining the well-being of their children.
The couple has developed their own form of communication as Willis’ condition has progressed. Heming Willis described their current interaction as involving sitting together, walking together, and listening as Willis attempts to communicate in his own way. She indicated that she reads his body language and looks into his eyes to understand his needs and experiences, comparing this intuitive process to parental instincts.
Frontotemporal dementia affects the front and sides of the brain, causing problems with behavior and language. The condition typically develops slowly and gradually worsens over time, with symptoms including difficulty producing speech and understanding word meanings. Currently, no cure exists for the disease, though researchers continue working to develop treatments for FTD and other forms of dementia.