Bruce Willis has “never connected the dots” when it comes to understanding that he has dementia.
The actor’s wife, Emma Heming, shared the emotional revelation during an intimate conversation with Cameron Rogers on her Conversations with Cam podcast on Wednesday.
When asked whether Willis is aware of his frontotemporal dementia (FTD) diagnosis, Heming explained that he believes his behavior is completely normal. She emphasized that it isn’t denial, but rather the brain’s way of helping him make sense of — and cope with — his new reality
Emma Heming Says Bruce Willis Is Unaware of His Dementia Diagnosis
The actor was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in 2023.
“I think that’s both the blessing and the curse of this,” Heming shared. “Bruce never tapped in — he never connected the dots that he has this disease, and I’m actually really grateful for that, that he doesn’t know about it.”
Heming, who shares daughters Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11, with the Sixth Sense star, also explained that Willis still recognizes everyone around him, noting that he has dementia — not Alzheimer’s disease.
“You just learn how to adapt and meet them where they are,” she said.
“I think that’s the blessing and the curse of this, Bruce never tapped in — he never connected the dots that he has this disease and I’m really happy about that, that he doesn’t know about it,” she confesse
Heming also clarified that the actor still knows who everyone around him is.
Earlier in the conversation, she opened up about how communication issues during their 18-year marriage initially made her suspect something deeper was going on.
Revealing that she ultimately had to go over Willis’ head to obtain a diagnosis, the 47-year-old admitted, “It’s really hard to know when Bruce’s disease started and where he started to end.
“I don’t really have a clear answer to that, and I don’t think I ever will. I know a lot of other couples who have gone through this — you think your marriage is falling apart, you consider divorce, and then you finally reach a diagnosis where everything starts to make sense.”
Heming added that it often takes “a long time” to receive a frontotemporal dementia diagnosis because the condition is frequently misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder, depression, or even a midlife crisis.
“It’s really hard to know when Bruce’s disease started and where he started to end,” Heming also said about his diagnosis.
Willis retired from acting in 2022 after being diagnosed with aphasia.
Heming made similar remarks during an interview with Diane Sawyer in August 2025, where she admitted she had questioned the state of their marriage before receiving a clear diagnosis for Willis.
She also revealed that as his dementia progressed, the actor began living in a separate home.
“Bruce would want that for our daughters,” Heming told Sawyer. “He would want them to be in a home that was more tailored to their needs, not his needs.”
Heming noted that their daughters still see the Pulp Fiction star, 70, “a lot,” visiting him regularly at his nearby second home.
Willis — who also shares daughters Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31, with ex-wife Demi Moore — now resides with a full-time care team.
Willis and Heming have been together since 2007 and share two daughters.
Willis was previously married to Demi Moore, with whom he shares three daughters.
The following year, he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, a progressive neurological disorder marked by language impairment, behavioral changes, and mobility issues.
Heming, the co-founder of Make Time Wellness, began dating Willis in 2007 before the couple married two years later. They went on to renew their vows in 2019
