Emma Heming Willis has defended her decision to live separately from her A-list husband Bruce Willis, hitting back at critics online who she says are “quick to judge”
Bruce Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis, has spoken out against the criticism she has faced after revealing she made the heartbreaking decision to move the actor into a separate home following his dementia diagnosis.
The 47-year-old model and entrepreneur has been caring for the Die Hard star since his family announced in 2022 that he was stepping away from acting due to health issues.
Bruce, 70, was initially diagnosed with aphasia, a condition that affects speech and comprehension, before doctors later confirmed he had frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in 2023.
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Emma has since become one of his primary caregivers, while raising their daughters, Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11, at the same time. During the ABC special Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey with Diane Sawyer, she revealed that Bruce no longer lives in their main family home.
He is currently staying in a house nearby with a full-time care team. Emma admitted: ““It was one of the hardest decisions that I’ve had to make so far. But I knew, first and foremost, Bruce would want that for our daughters. You know, he would want them to be in a home that was more tailored to their needs, not his needs.”
She made the decision after realising that the noise and disruption of everyday life with the kids could make Bruce agitated, which meant the girls were not able to have friends over for play dates and had to constantly monitor their noise levels.
Emma added: “When we go over, either we’re outside, or we’re watching a movie… it’s just really about being able to be there, and connect with Bruce.
“It is a house that is filled with love, and warmth, and care, and laughter. And it’s been beautiful to see that, to see how many of Bruce’s friends continue to show up for him, and they bring in life, and fun.”
After the documentary came out, Emma faced criticism online from people who questioned why she and Bruce were living apart. She has addressed the backlash in an emotional video on Instagram.
“I think that they did a beautiful job with amplifying FTD awareness, as well as shining a spotlight onto caregivers,” she said. “What I knew is that by sharing some of our intimate information that we would see these two camps. It would be people with an opinion versus people with an actual experience.
“And it’s been a perfect example to see, in the comment section, I knew would happen, is that people with an opinion and how quick they are to judge the caregiver, and that is what caregivers are up against. Judgement from others and criticism from others. Nothing changes an opinion quite as powerfully as when you have an experience.”
She continued: “Even if someone is closely familiar with dementia or the condition you are caring for, they aren’t in your home, so they don’t know how your person is behaving or your family dynamics. The truth is that the opinions are so loud and they’re so noisy. But if they don’t have the experience of this, they don’t get a say, and they definitely don’t get a vote.”
In her caption for the video, Emma stressed that she talks about her family’s ways of dealing with Bruce’s dementia diagnosis to connect with other caregivers, rather than to give her critics more fodder.
Source: Mirror
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