Bruce Willis’ wife shares heartbreaking anniversary message amid his dementia battle – ‘why him, why us’

Actor Bruce Willis' wife Emma Heming Willis, 46, shared an emotional tribute to her husband on their 17th wedding anniversary, reflecting on their relationship amid his ongoing health battle.

Bruce Willis, 69, was diagnosed with aphasia in 2022 and later with frontotemporal dementia, a degenerative brain disorder, in 2023, which led to his retirement from acting.

In her post, Emma began by celebrating their years together: “17 years of us ❤️,” and went on to express the emotional complexity of their anniversary. She wrote, “Anniversaries used to bring excitement — now, if I’m honest, they stir up all the feelings, leaving a heaviness in my heart and a pit in my stomach.”

Emma candidly shared her emotional process, stating that she allows herself 30 minutes to reflect on the challenges they face: “I give myself 30 minutes to sit in the ‘why him, why us,’ to feel the anger and grief.” However, she quickly shifted her focus to the love that has sustained them: “Then I shake it off and return to what is. And what is… is unconditional love.”

She continued, “I feel blessed to know it, and it’s because of him. I’d do it all over again and again in a heartbeat.”

Emma and Bruce have two daughters, Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 10.

Emma, in an October interview with Town & Country, explained how crucial it was for the family to receive the correct diagnosis so she could better understand the disease and educate their children. She expressed her commitment to being transparent with their daughters, saying, “I’ve never tried to sugarcoat anything for them. They’ve grown up with Bruce declining over the years. I’m not trying to shield them from it.”

Emma and Bruce met in 2007 at their mutual trainer’s gym and married in 2009. In addition to their two daughters, Emma is also stepmother to Bruce's three children from his previous marriage to actress Demi Moore: Rumer, 36, Scout, 33, and Tallulah, 30.