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Actor Bruce Willis, known for iconic films such as Die Hard, Pulp Fiction and The Sixth Sense, stepped away from acting four years ago after being diagnosed with aphasia . Since then, the Hollywood legend has largely stayed out of the public eye. Now, his wife Emma Heming Willis has shared a deeply personal update on his ongoing health.

What Emma Heming Willis shared about his healthEmma recently opened up on the Conversations With Cam podcast, offering an honest insight into Bruce’s condition. She explained that Bruce is not fully aware of his illness—something she describes as both heartbreaking and comforting.

She said, “I think they think this is their normal. There is this term, this neurological condition, that comes with FTD and other types of dementia as well, called anosognosia , where your brain can’t identify what is happening to it. Where people think this might be denial, where they don’t want to go to the doctor because they’re like, ‘I’m fine.’ Actually, this is the anosognosia that comes into play. It’s not denial. It’s just that their brain is changing. This is a part of the disease. That’s the blessing and the curse of this—that Bruce never tapped in. He never connected the dots that he had this disease. I’m really happy about that. I’m really happy he doesn’t know about it.”

Emma clarified that this lack of awareness is not denial, but a direct result of how the disease affects the brain.

The bond he still shares with his familyEmma also reassured fans that Bruce continues to recognise and connect with his loved ones. The couple share two daughters, aged 11 and 13, and she spoke about how their relationship has evolved but remains deeply meaningful.

She said, “He is still very much present in his body. When someone says to me, ‘Does Bruce still know who you are?’ Yes, he does, because he doesn’t have Alzheimer’s; he has FTD.”

Emma added that while communication looks different now, it is still “very beautiful and meaningful,” and the family has learned to adapt with love and patience.

Understanding Bruce Willis’ diagnosisBruce’s family first shared his health struggles in 2022, when they announced his aphasia diagnosis. Aphasia is a language disorder caused by brain damage that affects communication. In February 2023, the family revealed that his condition had progressed to frontotemporal dementia (FTD), sharing at the time, “While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis.”

In a separate interview with ABC News’ Diane Sawyer, Emma also said, “Bruce is still very mobile… It’s just his brain that is failing him… and, you know, we’ve learned to adapt.”