(NewsNation) — Rumer Willis is giving fans a peek inside her father Bruce Willis’ health journey.
She responded to questions on her Instagram Stories about how the “Die Hard” actor is doing during his fight with frontotemporal dementia.
“People always ask me this question, and I think it’s kind of a hard one to answer, because the truth is that anybody with FTD is not doing great,” Rumer Willis replied in a video. “But he’s doing OK in terms of somebody who is dealing with frontotemporal dementia.”
She added, “The only way I feel like I could answer that in a way that’s like he’s doing great … how do I say this? It’s like those parameters don’t really work anymore in my mind, so this is an interesting question.”
She said her dad doesn’t recognize her at times.
The “Sorority Row” actress expressed her deep happiness and gratitude that she can still go and hug her father. She explained that even if he doesn’t recognize her during their visits, she is thankful that he can sense the love she gives and that she can still see a “spark” of him, which she finds comforting.
Bruce Willis diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia
Willis’ family had first announced in 2022 that the actor was diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder that can result in trouble speaking or processing language. The condition progressed to frontotemporal dementia in 2023, his family said.
“Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces. While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis,” his family wrote at the time.
Bruce Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis, told NewsNation’s Elizabeth Vargas in October that he experiences anosognosia, a neurological condition in which patients don’t recognize their own health decline.
“I am grateful that Bruce never tapped into the idea that he had FTD,” she said. “If Bruce had said, ‘Emma, I think something’s wrong with me. I’m scared,’ that would have been really distressing.”
Bruce Willis lives in a second home
In promoting her recent book, “The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope and Yourself on the Caregiving Path,” she told Diane Sawyer in August that she moved the “The Sixth Sense” star into a different home so he can get round-the-clock care.
“It was one of the hardest decisions that I’ve had to make so far,” Heming Willis said.
“But I knew, first and foremost, Bruce would want that for our daughters. You know, he would want them to be in a home that was more tailored to their needs, not his needs.”
The additional home is a one-story house where the “Die Hard” star lives with an around-the-clock care team. Heming Willis said the second house isn’t far from the family’s first home.