Emma Heming Willis Says Bruce Wants Her to 'Enjoy Life' Amid His Dementia

Emma Heming Willis is soaking up time with her husband, Bruce Willis, and their children as he battles frontotemporal dementia.

“While the grief and sadness and trauma is here all the time, I have learned it’s OK for me to also enjoy our life,” Heming Willis, 49, told People in an interview published on Wednesday, September 3. “Bruce would want that for me and for our kids, to not wallow in the sadness of it, but also rise to it.”

Willis, 70, currently lives in a second home, separate from the property Heming Willis lives at with their two daughters, Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11. She opened up about regularly going to visit her husband at his house with their kids in ABC’s Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey – A Diane Sawyer Special on August 26.

“We are there a lot,” Heming Willis told host Diane Sawyer. “It’s our second home, so the girls have their things there. It is a house that is filled with love and warmth and care and laughter, and it’s been beautiful to see that, to see how many of Bruce’s friends continue to show up for him, and they bring in life and fun.”

Heming Willis, who wed the actor in 2009, shared more about the living arrangement and the decision to move her husband into a different home in a recent podcast interview.

“Sometimes it means that you have to look at your house,” she explained Tuesday, September 2. “You have to look at is it safe for someone to be living in this house? Is it safe for me, and is it safe for our children? It is a very personal decision, but it comes down to safety. It comes down to making the right decision for you and your family and your person.”

Amid their separate living arrangements, Heming Willis sometimes shares glimpses into her life with her and Willis’ daughters in posts via Instagram.

“The Getty gave us art, stunning gardens, sunshine, and the perfect spot for a picnic. Grateful for this slow Sunday with the girls 🖼️✨🤍,” she captioned a carousel of photos on July 20.

Heming Willis also documented going on a hike with the girls on June 30 and another outdoor adventure on July 6. While continuing to be the best mom and caregiver she can be, Heming Willis is determined to raise awareness for FTD diagnoses and research.

“Over time, I realized it would be beneficial to talk about it and raise awareness so people get to the doctor sooner, can be diagnosed sooner, get into clinical trials,” she told People. “FTD gets misdiagnosed all the time as bipolar, midlife crisis, depression. It is just not on anyone’s radar, which is why I think coming out with Bruce’s diagnosis was so important.”

Heming Willis’ new book, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, is out on Tuesday, September 9.