Marlene Willis Worries Son Bruce Willis Won’t Recognize Her Amid His Struggle With Dementia

Actor Bruce Willis's frontotemporal dementia diagnosis has been very hard on those near and dear to him. Weeks after his diagnosis, Marlene Willis, the mother of the Die Hard actor, opened up about how she was feeling as she witnessed the effects of her son's disorder diagnosis on his life and how his interactions with the outside world have changed. "She is not sure if her son still recognizes her," explained Wilfried Gliem, Willis' mother's cousin, in an interview with BILD, Marca reported.

"His behavior is very slow, there is always a slight aggressiveness and it is no longer possible to have a normal conversation with him. Although this behavior is usual in his clinical condition."

Gliem added that although Marlene is going through a lot of emotions, particularly anxiety for her granddaughters, she is sure that the family will be able to pull through this trying period as a unit. In addition to Bruce's three adult children with his ex-wife Demi Moore—Rumer Glenn Willis, 35; Scout LaRue Willis, 32; and Tallulah Belle Willis, 29—his current wife, Emma Heming Willis, shares two daughters with him: Evelyn, 9, and Mabel, 11.

It takes a toll on a family when one is suffering from a chronic condition. Bruce, the patriarch of the Willis-Moore blended family, was always close to his daughters, and even though it's quite hard to cope, his daughters have been powerful. In November 2023, Tallulah appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show and opened up about how the diagnosis journey has been for her, per PEOPLE. 

"He is the same, which I think in this regard I’ve learned is the best thing you can ask for. I see love when I’m with him, and it’s my dad and he loves me, which is special," Tallulah, 29, said of the Die Hard actor to host Drew Barrymore. 

Tallulah pointed out that her father "has a very aggressive cognitive disease; [a] form of dementia that's very rare" in her chat with Barrymore. When 48-year-old Barrymore questioned Tallulah about the family's decision "to be so open" about his sickness, she responded, "Well, I think it’s twofold. On one hand, it’s who we are as a family, but also, we need to spread awareness."

She added, "If we can take something that we’re struggling with as a family to help other people, to turn it around to make something beautiful about it, that’s special for us. And part of what’s been a really beautiful way for me to heal through this is becoming like an archeologist to my dad’s world, to his little trinkets and doo-dads," Tallulah shared.

Bruce revealed he had aphasia in 2022, which forced him to retire. Subsequently, the family revealed in a 2023 statement that Bruce's condition had gotten worse that year. The actor was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia following more testing. "Sadly, difficulty communicating is one of the symptoms of this disorder he is facing. Although this is very painful, it is a relief to have a clear diagnosis. It is a cruel disease that many of us never hear about and it can strike anyone."