Demi Moore shares how she helps her three daughters cope with their father Bruce Willis’ FTD diagnosis.
The 61-year-old actress was previously married to Hollywood star Bruce, with whom she shares Rumer Willis, 36, Scout Willis, 33, and Tallulah Willis, 30.
While appearing on The Drew Barrymore Show, the actress revealed the advice she gives her children when it comes to communicating with their father as he battles a condition that affects his cognitive abilities.
“What I tell my kids is to meet them where they are. Don’t hold on to who they were or what you want them to be, but hold on to who they are right now,” she said.
Moore continued: “And out of that comes so much beauty, joy, love and sweetness. When I’m in Los Angeles, I go every week and I really cherish the time we share.”
Demi Moore ‘treasures’ time spent with Bruce Willis following his FTD diagnosis. Bruce is pictured in 2019 with Demi, their daughters and current wife Emma Heming Willis.
The 69-year-old Moonlighting star was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) just over two years ago.
Moore’s daughter, Tallulah, recently revealed that she and her family find it “really special” to use their public platforms to “spread awareness” about the degenerative condition.
She said: ‘The thing about my dad is that he has a very aggressive cognitive illness, a form of dementia that is very rare.
‘I think (being open) is twofold. On one hand, it’s who we are as a family, but it’s also really important to spread awareness about FTD because we had no idea. And moving forward and utilizing, again, is like the bigger version of what I’m trying to do.
“If we can take something that we’re struggling with as a family and individually help other people, turn it around and make something really beautiful out of it, then that’s really special to us.”
“Part of what’s been a really beautiful way for me to heal this is to become a kind of archaeologist of my father’s things, his world, and his little trinkets.”
During her own appearance on the Drew Barrymore Show last November, Tallulah shared: “I see love when I’m with him, and he’s my dad and he loves me, which is really special.”
In 2022, Bruce’s family, including the Die Hard star’s current wife Emma Heming Willis and children Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, nine, announced that he was retiring from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, a speech and language disorder, and his dementia diagnosis was confirmed the following year.
The 61-year-old actress was previously married to fellow Hollywood star Bruce, with whom she shares Rumer Willis, 36, Scout Willis, 33, and Tallulah Willis, 30, and has revealed the advice she gives her children when it comes to communicating with their father, seen here at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
Demi and Bruce were married from 1987 to 2000. Seen here in 1990 at the Golden Globes.
“As Bruce’s condition progresses, we hope that media attention can focus on shedding light on this disease that needs much more awareness and research,” the family said.
‘Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others and raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately.
We know in our hearts that if we could today, we would want to respond by bringing global attention and a connection to those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it affects so many people and their families.
The Mayo Clinic defines aphasia as “a condition that affects your ability to communicate” that “can affect your speech as well as the way you write and understand spoken and written language.”