Emma Heming Willis has opened up about navigating the festive season amid her husband Bruce Willis’ battle with frontotemporal dementia diagnosis.
At the End Well 2025 conference in Los Angeles last week, the 47-year-old model shared a rare, emotional insight into how the Willis family approaches the holidays.
‘It’s joyous. It’s just different,’ she told People. ‘Bruce loved Christmas and we love celebrating it with him. It just looks different, so we’ve kind of adapted to that.’
Emma acknowledged that the holiday period can be particularly painful for families coping with dementia, yet stressed the importance of preserving tradition and positivity wherever possible.
‘You have to learn and adapt and make new memories, bring in the same traditions that you had before,’ she explained. ‘Life goes on. It just goes on. Dementia is hard, but there is still joy in it.’
The best-selling author stressed that she feels ‘it’s important that we don’t paint such a negative picture around dementia’ and to continue to laugh and feel happy.
Emma Heming Willis has opened up about navigating the festive season following husband Bruce Willis ‘ frontotemporal dementia diagnosis
Adding a touch of her trademark humor, she quipped: ‘I think it’s important to put Die Hard on because it’s a Christmas movie.’
Emma and Bruce share daughters Mabel Ray Willis, 13, and Evelyn Penn Willis, 11. Additionally he and his ex-wife Demi Moore are parents to Rumer Glenn Willis, 37, Scout LaRue Willis, 34, and Tallulah Belle Willis, 31.
Bruce, 70, publicly announced his frontotemporal dementia (FTD) diagnosis in 2023, a condition that affects areas of the brain responsible for personality, language and behavior.
Unlike Alzheimer’s, memory loss is not always the earliest symptom, with patients often experiencing personality and impulse control changes first.
While Bruce has largely stepped away from the spotlight, Emma and other family members have periodically updated fans on his condition.
Earlier this month, Emma also spoke candidly on Maria Menounos’ HealSquad podcast about the hidden toll caregiving can take, revealing a sobering warning she received from Bruce’s neurologist.
She said she was told that nearly 30 percent of caregivers die before the loved one they are caring for – often due to neglecting their own health.
‘I really needed to hear that to wake up,’ Emma admitted. ‘We are making appointments for everyone, handling, doing this… We are doing so much.’
At the End Well 2025 conference in Los Angeles last week, the 47-year-old model shared a rare, emotional insight into how the Willis family approaches the holidays
‘It’s joyous. It’s just different,’ she told People. ‘Bruce loved Christmas and we love celebrating it with him. It just looks different, so we’ve kind of adapted to that’
Emma acknowledged that the holiday period can be particularly painful for families coping with dementia, yet stressed the importance of preserving tradition and positivity wherever possible
She emphasized the importance of self-care, urging caregivers not to feel guilt for prioritizing their own wellbeing.
‘Caregivers need to know that in order to make it sustainable, you must care for yourself, that it is not selfish, it is self-preserving,’ she said.
FTD accounts for roughly one in 20 dementia cases in the US and typically strikes earlier than Alzheimer’s, with patients often diagnosed around the age of 60.
Over time, the condition can lead to severe communication difficulties, mobility issues and vulnerability to life-threatening complications such as pneumonia.
Emma has previously revealed that Bruce is now supported by a full-time professional care team as his condition progresses, though she continues to advocate for dignity, awareness and compassion surrounding dementia care.
Despite the emotional weight of their reality, Emma remains committed to celebrating life and the moments that still bring happiness, even if they arrive in a different form.
