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Demi Moore is speaking out in support of Bruce Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis, after criticism surfaced over decisions she’s made while caring for her husband.
During a recent interview on Oprah Winfrey’s “The Oprah Podcast,” Moore spoke about Bruce’s frontotemporal dementia diagnosis and how the family is coping, noting she has “so much compassion for” the actor’s wife and caretaker.
“There is no road map for how to deal with this,” she said. “So much fell on Emma to really figure this whole thing out. And the most beautiful thing, and she talks about this in the book, was recognizing the importance for caregivers that they have to take care of themselves. If they don’t put that time into making sure that they’re OK, then they can’t show up for anyone else.”
In March 2022, the family announced that Bruce would be “stepping away” from his acting career after being diagnosed with aphasia. They shared in February 2023 that he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
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Demi Moore praised Emma for how she’s been handling Bruce’s diagnosis. (Michael Loccisano/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)
Since announcing his diagnosis, Emma has been vocal about navigating the struggles of being a caretaker, and has provided updates on his condition. She also wrote a book about her journey as a caregiver, titled “The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope and Yourself on the Caregiving Path,” which is scheduled to be released on Sept. 9.
“I have so much compassion for Emma in this, being a young woman,” Moore told Winfrey. “There’s no way that anybody could have anticipated where this was going to go, and I really think she’s done a masterful job. She has been so dedicated to forging the right path. She’s had equal amounts of fear and strength and courage in navigating this.”
Emma recently faced criticism when she shared that as Bruce’s condition worsened, she made the difficult decision to move him into a separate home, where he can live with professional caregivers.
She responded to critics with an Instagram video, saying, “That is what caregivers are up against: judgment from others and criticism from others.”
Emma defended her choice to purchase a separate home for Bruce where he lives with professional caregivers. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
“Too often, caregivers are judged quickly and unfairly by those who haven’t lived this journey or stood on the front lines of it,” she wrote in the caption. “Sharing openly may invite opinions, but more importantly, it creates connection and validation for those actually navigating the realities of caregiving every day. That’s who I share for and so I can build a deeper connection with a community that understands this journey.”
Moore also opened up about how it feels to see her ex-husband battle dementia, telling Winfrey it is “hard to see somebody who was so vibrant and strong and so directed shift into this other part” of himself.
When it comes to how she handles difficult moments, Moore explained that “It’s so important just to meet them where they’re at.”
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“Don’t have an expectation of them needing to be who they were or who you want them to be,” the “Indecent Proposal” star said. “And when you do that, I find that there is an incredible sweetness and something that’s soft and tender and loving. Perhaps it is more playful and childlike in certain sense because of how much more caretaking they need.”
Moore and Bruce were married from 1987 to 1998 and share three daughters. (Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
“If you replay where it was and what you’ve lost, it only creates anxiety and grief,” she went on to say. “So when you stay present, there is so much — and there’s still so much of him there. And it may not always be verbal, but it is beautiful, given the givens.”
Moore and Bruce married in November 1987 and announced their separation in June 1998. Their divorce was finalized in October 2000. The couple share three daughters: Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31.
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Bruce married Emma in March 2009, and they have two daughters together: Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11. The blended family has remained close, often celebrating holidays and milestones together, and has continued to support one another as they navigate Bruce’s condition.
The blended family has remained close over the years. (Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for goop)
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