Tallulah Willis’ emotional tribute to Bruce Willis is giving fans insight into her dad’s current condition as he continues to adjust to living with dementia.
On Tuesday, the Die Hard star’s daughter shared a carousel of old photos of the two of them. One snapshot showed the pair lounging in an armchair, with Tallulah’s leg thrown over Bruce’s. Another captured the daddy-daughter duo holding hands on a sunny day, with the younger of the two wearing a crewneck with “Die Hard” written across the chest.
The 29-year-old captioned the post, “damn, these photos are hitting tonight. Youre [sic] my whole damn heart and Im [sic] so proud to be your Tallulah Belle Bruce Willis.” Proving the inherited moniker is indeed her legal name, Tallulah shared a photo of her driver’s license in the carousel. The touching caption suggests the beloved actor’s condition is steadily worsening, which is heartbreaking beyond words.
In February 2023, the Willis family — wife Emma Heming Willis, 45, and daughters Mabel, 11 and Evelyn, 9, as well as ex-wife Demi Moore, 61, and daughters Rumer, 34, Scout, 32, and Tallulah — shared a joint statement informing the world that the 68-year-old’s initial diagnosis of aphasia in March 2022 had developed into frontotemporal dementia.
Just a few months later in October 2023, the Unbreakable star’s friend, Moonlighting creator Glenn Gordon Caron, revealed that Bruce has become largely nonverbal as his condition has worsened. Caron told the New York Post he’s been dedicated to frequently visiting the actor since his diagnosis, and over time, the television creator has observed his friend’s health decline.
“The thing that makes [his disease] so mind-blowing is [that] if you’ve ever spent time with Bruce Willis, there is no one who had any more joie de vivre than he,” the director shared. “He loved life and … just adored waking up every morning and trying to live life to its fullest.”
Caron continued, “My sense is the first one to three minutes he knows who I am. He’s not totally verbal; he used to be a voracious reader — he didn’t want anyone to know that — and he’s not reading now. All those language skills are no longer available to him, and yet he’s still Bruce,” he explained.
“When you’re with him you know that he’s Bruce and you’re grateful that he’s there, but the joie de vivre is gone,” Caron sadly concluded.
Memory loss diseases are heartbreaking for everyone involved, and the fact that Bruce is battling the condition at a relatively young age makes it that much more tragic. Our thoughts are with him and his loved ones as they navigate an increasingly difficult time.
Before you go, check out what these celebs had to say about taking on the role of caregiver for their aging parents.
