Bruce Willis‘ wife Emma Heming Willis is sharing an update on their living arrangements amid his battle with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
While speaking with Diane Sawyer for ABC’s Emma & Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey that aired on Tuesday (August 26), Emma, 47, explained why the 70-year-old Die Hard actor no longer lives in the same home as her and their two daughters, Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11.
Keep reading to find out more…Bruce now lives in a single-story home with his round-the-clock caregivers.
“It was one of the hardest decisions that I’ve had to make so far,” Emma shared. “But I knew, first and foremost, Bruce would want that for our daughters. He would want them to be in a home that was more tailored to their needs, not his needs.”
Emma went on to emphasize that she and their daughters are “there a lot” to be with Bruce.
“It’s our second home, so the girls have their things there,” Emma shared. “It is a house that is filled with love and warmth and care and laughter. It’s been beautiful to see that—to see how many of Bruce’s friends continue to show up for him. They bring in life and fun.”
While the family has been able to make these new living arrangements work, Emma admitted that that when Bruce was first diagnosed with FTD, it took a major toll on her and their kids.
“I felt like what we were going through as a family, what Bruce was going through, was so singular,” she recalled. “I was definitely worried about sleeping and just making sure our house was secure. You have to think about your stove. You have to think about your freezer, refrigerator, the doors.”
Emma also noted that loud sounds are sometimes triggering for patients with FTD, so she decided to stop having playdates and sleepovers at their home.
“I didn’t know if parents would feel comfortable leaving their child at our home,” Emma explained. “Not only was I isolated, I isolated our whole family. The girls were isolated, too, and that was by design. I was doing that. That was a hard time. That was a really hard time.”
Also in the interview, Emma shared that she has found gratitude in the small things amid Bruce‘s FTD battle.
“When we are with him, he lights up,” Emma said. “He’s holding our hands, we’re kissing him. We’re hugging him. He is reciprocating. He is into it.”
“That’s all I need,” she added. “I don’t need him to know that I am his wife, we were married on this day. I don’t need any of that. I just want to feel that I have a connection with him, and I do.”
Emma also shared an update on how Bruce is doing health-wise.