Bruce Willis ‘found ways to soldier on with acting' amid frontotemporal dementia diagnosis
Bruce Willis was working with directors to continue acting before his diagnosis with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) was made public, his wife, Emma Heming Willis, reportedly claims in her forthcoming book.
In March 2022, Willis's family announced that the actor had been diagnosed with aphasia, a language disorder, and would be stepping away from acting as the condition was 'impacting his cognitive abilities'.
Nearly a year later, in February 2023, the family provided a more specific diagnosis: FTD, a degenerative brain condition that impacts communication and behavior. The family described FTD as a 'cruel disease' for which there is no cure.
However, News.com.au reports that Heming Willis's book The Unexpected Journey, which she describes as being 'not a memoir but under the category of self-help', will reveal how the actor continued to work despite his condition.
'Before making his condition public, Willis had found ways to soldier on with his acting, having directors scale down his dialogue and getting a trusted friend to feed him his lines through an earpiece on films such as Assassin and the Detective Knight series,' the Australian news site claims.
The Independent has contacted representatives for Harding Willis, Willis and Lionsgate for comment.
Assassin (2023) and the Detective Knight series (2022-23) were among Bruce's final projects before his retirement from acting.
The news site points out that Willis's deterioration wasn't immediately obvious because of the stutter he'd suffered from since childhood.
'It's how I got my sense of humour, because I realised, yeah I stutter, but I could make people laugh by doing stupid stuff,' he once told interviewer Michael Parkinson.
Willis first married actor Demi Moore in 1987, and shares three daughters with the actor: Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah. The couple divorced in 2000 but remained close friends and continue to spend time together with their blended families. In 2009, Bruce married British-American model and actor Heming Willis, with whom he shares two daughters, Mabel and Evelyn.
Revealing her book's cover on Instagram in April, Heming Willis wrote: 'Born from grief, shaped by love, and guided by purpose, this is the book I needed back when Bruce was first diagnosed and I was frozen with fear and uncertainty.
'This is the book I trust will help the next caregiver. It is filled with support, insight, and the hope needed to navigate this journey.
'This book is for all of us finding our way through the unknown with love, grit, and courage. You are not alone.'
The Unexpected Journey is out September 9.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Love Is Blind's Lydia Gonzalez announces divorce from husband Milton Johnson: ‘I felt betrayed'
Love is Blind's Lydia Velez Gonzalez has filed for divorce from her husband, Milton Johnso,n after nearly three years of marriage. Gonzalez, 34, and Johnson, 27, met in 2022 on season five of the popular Netflix reality show, which puts men and women in dating 'pods' where they can speak to each other, but not see each other. In a podcast appearance, Gonzalez shared that there was a 'layer of situations and things that just kept piling it up' that led to her decision to file for divorce. 'I needed to share my thoughts and my experience because what I've been suffering in silence has been too much for me to be quiet and keep quiet,' she told fellow Love Is Blind alum Amber Desiree 'AD' Smith on her podcast What's the Reality? In 2022, the couple revealed that Gonzalez was living in Houston while Johnson had to move to Long Beach, California, for their respective jobs. However, Gonzalez made it clear that the long distance and their age gap weren't to blame for the breakdown. 'Maybe the internet was right, that he wasn't ready for marriage. I don't think he was ready to be a husband,' she said. Gonzalez said problems began in October 2022, six months into their marriage, when Johnson refused to cut off a woman he had dated in the past. She explained that during their marriage, multiple women accused Johnson of 'heavily flirting' with them. 'My heart went to the floor. I felt betrayed and disrespected.' Gonzalez said she asked Johnson for a divorce in March, but he allegedly called her 'too f***ing stupid' and 'an untrustworthy person'. 'I don't believe he loves me. I still love him, unfortunately... I cannot keep being in a place where I'm not wanted. I'm trying to put back the pieces that he broke.' The Independent has reached out to Johnson for a comment. Gonzalez also said she had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia in September, but Johnson did not support her while she struggled with the chronic condition. 'Instead of him being my support, he told me, 'You're not dying, you just have to eat healthy and work out,'' she said. In an Instagram post shared on Wednesday, Gonzalez addressed the split, writing: 'I never ever wished this ending; or any ending to be honest. I wish I knew the answer to what happened? What made you change? Truly so I could go back and fix it. When you read these words you are probably going to be angry at me. You always were when I 'overshared' but this is part of my healing, and gathering back the pieces you broke.' Gonzalez and Johnson were the only couple in their season to get married. The two were caught up in a first for the reality series, where Gonzalez and another participant, Uche Okorhoa, realised they had dated each other in the real world. Later, Okorhoa accused Gonzalez of stalking him after they broke up and that she followed him onto the show.
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bianca Censori Drops Jaws While Putting on Cheeky Display in Leather Thong
Bianca Censori dropped jaws while putting on a cheeky display in a leather thong in new photos with her husband, . Recently, snaps of the Yeezy architect, 30, and Donda rapper, 47, in Spain started circulating on social media. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 In the images, Censori rocked a black bodysuit that looked like separate pieces without seeing it from behind. The top portion of the outfit featured a deep-plunging look that wrapped around her back and formed the leather thong portion of the look. From there, the fabric continued to the form-fitting leg coverings, finally reaching down to her black high-heeled shoes. The photos showed Censori straddling West at times, with her lookalike sister, Angelina Censori, standing nearby in a similar black West releasing a song claiming that Bianca left him, the couple—married since December 2022—has been spotted together many times since. Censori was caught on a livestream with West in early May wearing a completely sheer look that left nothing to the imagination. Additionally, the Australian model was recently spotted debuting a bold hair transformation while baring it all in a fishnet bodysuit. Next:
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bianca Censori Turns Heads With Ultra-Busty Display in Cheeky Thong Bodysuit
Bianca Censori Turns Heads With Ultra-Busty Display in Cheeky Thong Bodysuit originally appeared on Parade. turned heads while putting on an ultra-busty display in a cheeky thong bodysuit. On Tuesday, June 3, 's Australian model wife, 30, took to her Instagram Stories with a trio of snaps that dropped jaws. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 In the first picture, Censori rocked a flesh-toned bodysuit while she lay on the floor in a seductive pose. The shot was taken from above, showing off her chest and causing her hair to obscure her face. Two other images showed the Yeezy architect wearing the same skin-baring outfit but striking a side pose that showed off her backside. In the process, Censori revealed the bodysuit was a thong, as the photos showed off most of her derrière. Check out the sultry pictures for yourself! In other Censori fashion news, she recently left nothing to the imagination while donning a see-through top and no pants. The Donda rapper's wife also exposed her entire chest in a sheer look that shocked locals in Spain. Additionally, Censori rocked a leather thong and flaunted a different jaw-dropping sheer look in a livestream video. Meanwhile, her younger sister, , has been following in her boundary-pushing fashion footsteps. Next: Bianca Censori Turns Heads With Ultra-Busty Display in Cheeky Thong Bodysuit first appeared on Parade on Jun 3, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.