Bruce Willis’ family announced in March of last year that the actor will be retiring due to an aphasia diagnosis. They made a more specific diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) nearly a year later. During this time, Willis’ family has provided frequent updates on his life. This includes his 68th birthday earlier this year, which he had with his ex-wife Demi Moore and their three children, Scout, Rumer, and Tallulah, as well as his current wife, Emma Heming Willis, and their two daughters, Mabel and Evelyn.
Moonlighting, an ABC series from the late 1980s starring Bruce Willis, is available for viewing on Hulu this month. Willis expressed a desire for the show to reach a larger audience. Glenn Gordon Caron, the creator of Moonlighting, revealed that he spoke with Willis about getting the show on Hulu while he was still able to converse, as FTD is a progressing condition. Caron explained, “I know it means a lot to him.”
Caron also stated that he had maintained communication with Willis’ wife and three older children after colleagues on Willis’ previous film sets expressed concern for his well-being before the diagnosis. Caron stated, “What makes [his condition] so mind-blowing is that if you’ve ever spent time with Bruce Willis, there is no one who had more joie de vivre than him. He cherished life and strived to live it fully.
Regarding Willis’ health, Caron stated that FTD has substantially impacted his capacity to communicate, comparing it to seeing life “through a screen door.” However, he believes Willis can recognize him within the first one to three minutes of their conversations. Caron added that Willis is no longer communicative and has lost his capacity to read, despite being a keen reader previously. However, Caron highlighted that Willis remains himself. “When you’re with him, you know that he’s Bruce, and you’re grateful that he’s there, but the joie de vivre has gone,” he elaborated.
Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis, gave her an update at World Frontotemporal Dementia Awareness Week last month. She admitted that Willis’ illness is difficult for the family, but she also highlighted the positive times in their life. She underlined the significance of looking for pleasure in loss and despair, believing that Bruce would want them to find joy in the present.