Bruce Willis' daughter gives heartbreaking update about his dementia battle

21 November 2025, 14:52

The 37-year-old actress spoke candidly about her father’s care and the quiet moments they still share.

Rumer Willis has offered a heartfelt update on her father Bruce Willis’ health, sharing how she continues to find moments of connection and love with him despite his ongoing battle with dementia.

The 37-year-old actress spoke openly with fans in a series of Instagram Stories, describing how the family has adjusted to the Die Hard star’s condition and what their visits are like today.

Bruce, 70, retired from acting in 2022 after his health began to decline. He now lives in a separate, single-story home close to his family, supported by a dedicated care team providing round-the-clock assistance.

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Rumer revealed how meaningful it remains to spend time with her father and how she still feels his warmth and affection.

“I’m so grateful that when I go over there, and I give him a hug, whether he recognises me or not, that he can feel the love I've given him, and I can feel it back from him," Rumer explained.

"That I still see a spark of him, and he can feel the love that I'm giving,” she added. “So that feels really nice.”

She added that she brings her 23-month-old daughter, Louetta, along for their visits.

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“I just feel grateful that I get to go over there with Luetta and we get to spend time with him, and I get to feel the love that he has for me, and that I can love him and be with him.”

Though Bruce’s health has changed the way they interact, Rumer shared that she continues to sense his presence and love — even during the harder moments when he doesn’t always recognize her.

When a fan asked about her father’s condition, she answered candidly: “People always ask me this question, and I think it's kind of a hard one to answer, because the truth is that anybody with FTD (frontotemporal dementia) is not doing great.

“He's doing okay, in terms of somebody who is dealing with frontotemporal dementia,” she explained. “The only way that I feel like I could answer that in a way that was like 'He's doing great!' — you know, it's like, those parameters don't really work anymore I guess, in my mind.”

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In June, Rumer shared a touching Father’s Day post filled with photos of her and Bruce over the years. She’s also spoken before about how much she “misses” her dad, sharing tender snapshots of him spending time with his granddaughter.

Bruce shares Rumer, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31, with ex-wife Demi Moore, 63, whom he was married to from 1987 until 2000.

He is also father to Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11, with wife Emma Heming Willis, 47.

In 2023, his family confirmed his diagnosis with frontotemporal dementia — a degenerative brain disorder that affects language, behavior, and personality.

In an interview with Diane Sawyer in August, wife Emma revealed that Bruce had moved into a separate single-story home near their main residence so he could receive the constant care he needs.

“It was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make,” she told The Sunday Times. “But among the sadness and discomfort, it was the right move — for him, for our girls, for me. Ultimately, I could get back to being his wife. And that's such a gift.”

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She added that the move has given Bruce more independence — and allowed friends and family to visit him in a more relaxed setting.

“It's made such a difference for more friends and family to have their own experience with him without it being my home, without me hovering, or my anxiety of how to manage the guest and their expectations, and then have to see their reactions — their sadness at what is.”