Bruce Willis, the 70-year-old movie icon, now resides in a separate care home with 24/7 support as dementia progresses
Bruce Willis is now living in a separate one-story home, away from his family but with round-the-clock care, as part of his dementia treatment, the actor’s wife, Emma Heming Willis, revealed in a new ABC special, Emma & Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey.
Heming Willis said moving her husband into his own place was “one of the hardest decisions” she’s had to make as a caregiver. But, she added, she felt it was necessary to give Willis a home that was safe, quiet, and easy for him to get around.
“I knew, first and foremost, Bruce would want that for our daughters,” she said. “You know, he would want them to be in a home that was more tailored to their needs, not his needs.”
Another factor in moving Willis to a second home had to do with how his dementia had forced Heming Willis and the couple’s two daughters, who are 13 and 11, to overhaul their own lives. For instance, Heming Willis worried that loud noises and chaotic scenes could trigger agitation in her husband, leading her to cut down on playdates and sleepovers for their daughters.
Bruce Willis, once the face of blockbuster action films, is now living with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) at 70. His wife, Emma Heming Willis, revealed he has moved into a nearby single-story home with full-time caregivers, a choice made for his safety and continued closeness with family.
The residence was carefully designed to reduce stress and provide a calm environment, better suited to his needs. With 24/7 professional support, it also allows Emma and their daughters, Mabel and Evelyn, to maintain stability in their daily lives.
Emma admitted this was one of her most difficult decisions. Yet, she felt Bruce would have wanted his children to grow up in a home shaped by love, rather than by the challenges of his illness.
Public reactions were mixed, but Emma responded firmly, noting that unless someone has lived as a caregiver, they cannot truly understand. She stressed that sharing their journey is about raising awareness of FTD and supporting other families in similar struggles.
Her upcoming memoir, The Unexpected Journey, will explore these themes of resilience, caregiving, and personal growth through hardship.
Bruce’s condition has worsened, leaving him unable to speak, read, or walk without help. This decline contrasts sharply with his on-screen legacy but underscores the gravity of his diagnosis.
Still, his family’s devotion remains steadfast. Emma and the children visit daily, while his older daughters—Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah—remain deeply involved. Emma movingly shared: “I don’t need him to know I’m his wife; I just need to feel the connection — and I do.”
“I didn’t know if parents would feel comfortable leaving their child at our home, so, again, not only was I isolated, I isolated our whole family,” Heming Willis said. “You know, the girls were isolated too, and that was by design; I was doing that. It was a hard time. It was a really hard time.”
Willis’ second home is close to where Heming Willis and their daughters still live, and all three still see Willis frequently, often for breakfast and dinner. “It is a house that is filled with love and warmth and care and laughter,” Heming Willis said.