Fans were devastated to hear in February 2023 that Bruce Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. Almost a year earlier, Willis’s family had announced his retirement from acting, revealing his condition of aphasia. Since the diagnosis, his friends and family have been supporting the Die Hard actor. Willis’s friend and creator of his breakthrough series, Moonlighting, revealed that he was not totally verbal.
Willis was earlier married to actress Demi Moore and they share three daughters: Rumer Willis, Scout Willis, and Tallulah Willis. The Stakeout actor has been married to his wife Emma Heming Willis since 2009 and the couple has two daughters, Mabel and Evelyn.
Moonlighting Creator Says Bruce Willis Has Lost His Language Skills
Bruce Willis acted in several uncredited roles in TV series before he finally landed the main role in the 1985 series, Moonlighting. He gained widespread acclaim for his role as private detective David Addison in the ABC series. Willis befriended the creator Glenn Gordon Caron during the series and they still remain good friends. Caron opened up about the Unbreakable actor’s condition to The New York Post in October 2023.
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Caron was speaking to the outlet about the streaming release of Moonlighting on Hulu. He shared that he discussed the matter with Willis before his progressive disease worsened his condition and the Pulp Fiction actor was excited about the prospect. Caron also revealed having a casual relationship with Willis’s family and shared that he tried hard to stay in Willis’s life. Caron revealed that the disease makes no sense as Willis always woke up with the “joie de vivre” to live life to its fullest. Caron told The New York Post:
“The thing that makes [his disease] so mind-blowing is [that] if you’ve ever spent time with Bruce Willis, there is no one who had any more joie de vivre than he. He loved life and … just adored waking up every morning and trying to live life to its fullest. So the idea that he now sees life through a screen door, if you will, makes very little sense. He’s really an amazing guy.”
Caron shared that the 12 Monkeys actor was able to recognize him, even if it was for a few minutes. The Moonlighting creator also revealed that the condition has taken away Willis’s language skills and he was not fully conversational. Caron shared:
“My sense is the first one to three minutes he knows who I am. He’s not totally verbal; he used to be a voracious reader — he didn’t want anyone to know that — and he’s not reading now. All those language skills are no longer available to him, and yet he’s still Bruce. When you’re with him you know that he’s Bruce and you’re grateful that he’s there, but the joie de vivre is gone.”
Earlier, Demi Moore was reportedly devastated after Willis failed to recognize her. One source revealed to Closer that his condition is worsening and the actor was suffering from personality changes and mood swings as a result of his condition.
Demi Moore Provided A Recent Update On Bruce Willis’ Health
Demi Moore recently played the role of Ann Woodward in the second season of Feud, titled Capote vs. The Swans. While promoting her new series on Good Morning America, she revealed an update on Bruce Willis’s health. She shared, “I think, given the givens, he’s doing very well.” The former couple amicably shared family experiences over the years since their divorce in 2000. She had attended Willis’s marriage to his current wife, Emma Heming.
Moore further shared her message for her three daughters about taking care of their dad. Moore shared with GMA:
“What I’ll say is what I say to my children, which is it’s important to just meet them where they’re at and not hold onto what isn’t. Because there’s great beauty and sweetness and loving and joy out of that.”
Heming is currently preparing to release a guidebook on caregiving that draws upon her experiences of looking after the Sixth Sense actor. The currently untitled book will be released in 2025. Moonlighting is now available for streaming on Hulu.
