'Something Felt Off': Bruce Willis's Wife Reveals She First Spotted Dementia Clues While He Filmed This Big-Budget Movie

'Something felt off', Bruce Willis's wife Emma Heming Willis now says she first noticed worrying signs of dementia during filming of the blockbuster Die Hard.

She feared the changes in her husband's behaviour were due to hearing loss from his time on Die Hard, not something more serious. Hannibalising miscommunication, lost warmth and a return of a childhood stutter were early clues all long before the diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) that was confirmed in late 2022.

First Signs During 'Die Hard'

Emma Heming Willis has shared in her new caregiving memoir, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, that she initially believed Bruce Willis's early behaviour changes stemmed from hearing damage incurred while filming Die Hard (1988).

She recalled a scene shot under a table, involving gunfire, during which Willis wasn't using ear protection, an incident she now believes caused him to lose 'a large percentage' of hearing in one ear.

Over time, Emma Willis noticed communication problems at home: Bruce appeared to 'check out' during family dinners, conversations felt disjointed, and the man she knew seemed less present. She thought the miscommunication was because he couldn't hear properly, not that a neurological disease was at work.

She also observed that his childhood stutter was returning, something she says she 'never in a million years thought' could be symptomatic of dementia.

From Confusion to Diagnosis

For many years, these early signs were ambiguous. Emma Heming Willis has said she felt frustrated, confused and sometimes guilty, believing it might be marital tensions, not illness. She admits thinking that 'something I was doing in our marriage wasn't working anymore.'

The formal medical diagnosis came in stages. In 2022, Bruce Willis was diagnosed with aphasia — a disorder that impairs language expression and comprehension.

In February 2023, the family revealed that the more specific diagnosis was frontotemporal dementia, which affects the brain's frontal and temporal lobes and can cause changes in behaviour, speech and interpersonal connections.

Heming Willis has described that diagnosis as a bittersweet relief, as it provided clarity and began to explain what behaviour had seemed so inexplicable.

Impact on Family and Life Afterwards

Emma Heming Willis has described how the changes affected day-to-day life: Bruce became quieter and more withdrawn, skipped family occasions and lost interest in things that once brought him joy. His once warm, affectionate manner seemed to diminish.

Those around him, particularly his two youngest daughters with Emma, Mabel (13) and Evelyn (11), were deeply affected by the shifts. To provide a more stable environment, Bruce now lives in a separate one-storey residence with professional caregivers, not far from the family home.

Heming Willis emphasises that dementia 'whispers, it doesn't scream', a reminder that many early signs are subtle and easy to misinterpret. Her message is also one of encouragement for other caregivers: to trust gut feelings, seek medical advice, and remember that care for the carer matters.

Bruce Willis is a public figure whose career spanned many high-budget, action-heavy films. The revelation that some of his behavioural changes might have roots in early dementia helps shine a light on how neurodegenerative diseases can go unnoticed in people who are otherwise strong, successful and seemingly unaffected.

Bruce Willis's journey, as described by Emma Heming Willis, reminds us that early clues often precede full diagnoses — and that recognising them, even when they seem explainable by something else, can make a difference.