Did Bruce Willis’ wife Emma really consider divorce before his dementia diagnosis?

Comedy Central Roast Of Bruce Willis - Arrivals - Source: Getty
Bruce Willis and Emma Heming Willis (Image via Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)

Bruce Willis has been married to his second wife, Emma Heming Willis, since 2009. However, Emma admitted that there was a time in their relationship when she thought about divorcing the actor, and that was before he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in November 2022.

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Emma shared a glimpse of her married life to Willis in a new feature for Vanity Fair, published on September 5. She recalled seeing how her husband had changed, and it created a mystery that eventually led her to consider breaking up their marriage. Talking about the change she witnessed in the actor, Emma said,

"[I thought] 'What is going on? This is not the person I married. Something is just so off.' And I just couldn't figure out."
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She remembered thinking that the marriage that was once a "romantic, beautiful story" was "crumbling," and how Bruce Willis became a person she no longer wanted to be married to. In November 2022, they finally knew the reason the actor had seemingly changed, as his doctors informed them that he had FTD and that there was nothing the doctors could do for him.

Recalling the time when Bruce Willis was diagnosed with FTD and how she hadn't had a lot of guidance to navigate what was happening in their family, Emma Heming Willis told the magazine that it was "the worst of the worst." She initially became his caregiver before employing a team of professionals who now help to look after him, which has allowed her to feel like "his wife again."

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Bruce Willis' wife defends her decision to move him into a separate home to receive around-the-clock care

In a September 9 interview on Good Morning America, Emma Heming Willis revealed that she has moved her husband into a separate home from their family. She admitted that it was "one of the hardest decisions" she had to make as his caregiver, but that it was the "safest and best decision" for both the actor and their children, and "it's not up for a debate."

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Bruce and Emma Heming Willis (Image via Dia Dipasupil/WireImage)
Bruce and Emma Heming Willis (Image via Dia Dipasupil/WireImage)

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The decision was also made to ensure that their kids, who are 13 and 11, could continue living their lives as kids. She previously defended her decision to move her husband into a second family home during an interview with Diane Sawyer for an ABC special in August, saying,

"We have two young children, and it was just as important that they had a home that supported their needs and that Bruce could have a place that supported his needs."
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She said that it was what her husband would have wanted, adding,

"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."

While Bruce Willis might be living in a separate home, it's close enough to where Emma and their kids live, so they see him frequently.

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Emma Heming Willis recounts her experiences with Bruce Willis's dementia diagnosis in her new memoir, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path.

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Edited by Niharika Dabral
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