Tallulah Willis has revealed for the first time that she has been diagnosed with autism – while explaining how the condition “changed her life” after learning about it last summer.
The 30-year-old actress and daughter of Bruce Willis shared her health breakthrough on Instagram with her 402,000 followers over the weekend, amid her father’s ongoing battle with dementia.
She posted a video of her and her father, who over the past two years was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia, on the red carpet at the premiere of the actor’s 2004 film, The Whole Ten Yards, which then took 10 years to complete. old Tallulah also starred in.
Along with this message, she wrote: “Tell me (you are) autistic without telling me (you are) autistic. »
Tallulah Willis, 30, opened up about her autism diagnosis as an adult after sharing a 2004 video with her father, Bruce.
She spoke about it for the first time, saying she was diagnosed “this summer.” She is photographed in 2004 with her father. In the clip, she rubs his head and plays with his ears.
Tallulah (seen earlier this month at Vanity Fair’s Oscar party) said her diagnosis – which she received over the summer – “changed her life.”
In the video, a young Tallulah, held by Bruce as he answers a reporter’s questions, is seen poking his ears and rubbing his hands over his bald head repeatedly.
Her post prompted a follower to ask her about her diagnosis.
The actress responded, “Actually, this is the first time I’ve publicly shared my diagnosis. I found out this summer and it changed my life.
Her sister, Scout LaRue, also wrote, “She’s stimulating,” and Tallulah replied, “Dude, the earring.” I wish we had louder sound.
According to Cleveland ClinicStimulation “occurs when a person repeatedly makes the same movements or sounds.”
It is a way for people to regulate their emotions and is “often (but not always) associated with autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders.”
While it has been reported that boys are “four times more likely” than girls to be autistic, recent research has concluded that almost 80% of women “are not diagnosed by the age of 18” , according to UCLA Health.
Previously, the Stars On Mars personality opened up about her battle with body dysmorphia and an eating disorder, as well as her ADHD diagnosis.
With this message, she wrote: “Tell me (you are) autistic without telling me (you are) autistic”
In response to a fan who asked her about her autism, she publicly revealed for the “first time” that she was diagnosed “this summer,” adding, “It changed my life.”
Her father (pictured with her in 2004) battles frontotemporal dementia and aphasia.
“For the past four years I suffered from anorexia nervosa, which I was reluctant to talk about because, after getting sober at age 20, restricting food seemed like the last vice I had to indulge in. hang”, Tallulah writes for Vogue in May 2023.
She said that at the age of 25, she entered a residential treatment center in Malibu to deal with both the eating disorder and depression she was living with.
“It was a largely therapeutic experience; for the first time, I cried for the 15-year-old misfit, the ugly duckling,” she said.
“I was also diagnosed with ADHD and started taking stimulant medications, which was transformative.
“For the first time, I felt smart, but I also began to appreciate the appetite-suppressing side effect of the medications. I saw a way to banish the awkward teenager in favor of a flighty little elf.
Tallulah said that “like so many people with eating disorders, (her) perception of myself went haywire.”
She said “the start of rapid weight loss” led to a feeling of “unhealthy delight”.
Tallulah said: “People say, ‘Oh wow! And then quickly it turns into, “Are you okay?” My friends and family were terrified and I rejected the idea. They were like, “Is this the ADHD medication?” »
Previously, the Stars On Mars personality opened up about her battle with body dysmorphia and an eating disorder, as well as her ADHD diagnosis. Photographed with Bruce in 2015
The actress shared a throwback selfie showing herself before embarking on her recovery in August 2023.
She said she was “very protective” of her medication and “rationalized” it by remembering how it improved her concentration.
“An eating disorder therapist would later tell me that the smaller you are, the bigger you feel,” the actress wrote. “How twisted is this?”
She said that in the spring of 2022, she weighed 84 pounds and was therefore facing significant health complications.
“I was always cold,” she said. “I was calling mobile IV teams to come to my house and I couldn’t walk around my neighborhood in Los Angeles because I was afraid I wouldn’t have a place to sit and catch my breath.”
It’s been nearly two years since Tallulah’s mother-in-law Emma Heming, 45, released a joint statement via Instagram with her two daughters and Willis’ ex-wife Demi Moore, 61, and her daughters Rumer , 35, Scout, 32, Tallulah, 30, announcing that the actor was retiring from acting amid her aphasia diagnosis.
In the March 30, 2022 statement, they said Willis “has been experiencing health challenges and was recently diagnosed with aphasia, which impacts his cognitive abilities.”
“You are my whole f***ing heart,” Tallulah said while sharing a series of emotional snaps with her father amid his battle with dementia in November 2023.
The Die Hard star retired from showbiz while battling a brain condition known as aphasia, which causes a patient’s language abilities to deteriorate.
He continued: “As a result and with great consideration, Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him. This is a truly difficult time for our family and we so appreciate your continued love, compassion and support.
“We’re going through this time as a strong family unit and we wanted to bring his fans out because we know how much he means to you, just like you mean to him. Like Bruce always says, ‘Live it’ and c This is exactly what we plan to do together.
In November 2023, Tallulah shared an emotional message about her father’s health battle.
At the time, she posted a selection of photos of her and her father, including one which showed her beaming with Bruce’s arm around her as they cuddled up together on a sofa.
The actress captioned the post: ‘Damn these pics hit the spot tonight. You are my whole heart and I’m so proud to be your Tallulah Belle Bruce Willis.’