Emma Heming got candid about how the incredibly difficult decision she made to move her husband, Bruce Willis, into a different home had changed their young daughters' lives for the better. The star's family announced his diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia in 2023, which is a progressive brain disorder that leads to changes in behavior, personality, movement and language. Emma weathered a sea of backlash recently, after revealing in an interview on ABC that Bruce was living separately for the sake of their family.
A new dynamic
"It was the hardest thing," Emma explained to People, adding that Bruce's illness required him to live in "a calm and serene atmosphere," which was proving difficult with their young daughters, Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11. As a result, the 47-year-old moved her husband into a one-storey "second home" nearby, where he receives around-the-clock care.
"We have two young children, and it was just important that they had a home that supported their needs and that Bruce could have a place that supported his needs," she told the publication. "The kids can have playdates and sleepovers [again] and not have to walk around tiptoeing. Everything just feels a lot calmer, more at ease now."
Emma's decision
Emma shared that while the decision was "heartbreaking", it ended up being the best choice for everyone involved. "Dementia plays out differently in everyone's home, and you have to do what's right for your family dynamic and what's right for your person," she explained. "It's heartbreaking to me. But this is how we were able to support our whole family, [and] it has opened up Bruce's world."
"I get to go back to being Bruce's wife and the kids can be kids and there's beauty in that and I'm so grateful for that," she added. "I just get to be with him in these moments, and that is because of this setup we have. It's been helpful for us." She noted that "while the grief and sadness and trauma is here all the time, I have learned it's okay for me to also enjoy our life."
Weathering the storm
Emma, whose book The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path will be released on September 11, received backlash for her decision to move Bruce into a separate home, and took to Instagram to hit back at the dissenters.
"What I knew is that by sharing some of our intimate information that we would see these two camps. It would be people with an opinion versus people with an actual experience," she said, adding, "people with an opinion [are quick to judge] the caregiver."
Demi Moore, who was married to Bruce from 1987 to 2000, and with whom she shares her daughters Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31, defended Emma in a candid interview on The Oprah Podcast. "I have so much compassion for Emma in this, being a young woman, there's no way that anybody could have anticipated where this was gonna go, and I really think she's done a masterful job," the actress said.