Bruce Willis' Daughter Tallulah Shares Heartbreaking Details of Her Father's Battle With Dementia
Tallulah Willis, daughter of Bruce Willis, recently shared insights into her father's battle with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Reflecting on early symptoms and his decline, she shed light on his deteriorating condition. The family announced Bruce's diagnosis nearly four months ago on social media.
In a touching essay published in Vogue, the 29-year-old penned her heartfelt thoughts: “I’ve known that something was wrong for a long time. It started out with a kind of vague unresponsiveness, which the family chalked up to Hollywood hearing loss: Speak up! Die Hard messed with Dad’s ears." In a statement released by the Willis family in February, it was disclosed that Bruce had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) which resulted in struggles with communication. According to the National Institutes of Health, it is typical for loved ones to initially misconstrue FTD as forgetfulness or misconduct.
Tallulah remembered how, as time went on, Bruce's lack of responsiveness became more pronounced. “I sometimes took it personally, he had had two babies with my stepmother, Emma Heming Willis, and I thought he’d lost interest in me. Though this couldn’t have been further from the truth, my adolescent brain tortured itself with some faulty math: I’m not beautiful enough for my mother, I’m not interesting enough for my father," she said.
During that period, Tallulah found it convenient to make such an assumption due to her own personal battles with physical and mental health. Over the course of the last four years, she has faced anorexia nervosa, depression, and various other mental health challenges that led her to seek treatment at a recovery center. It was there that she received a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, a condition that hinders emotional regulation and stability in relationships. She talked about her struggles with this disorder as well in the essay she wrote for Vogue.
Tallulah acknowledged that her own struggles, characterized by their timing and intensity, caused her to avoid and deny her father's challenges. “While I was wrapped up in my body dysmorphia, flaunting it on Instagram, my dad was quietly struggling,” she noted. In 2021, Tallulah's avoidance reached a tipping point when she attended a wedding and was deeply moved by the heartfelt speech delivered by the bride's father. “Suddenly I realized that I would never get that moment, my dad speaking about me in adulthood at my wedding, it was devastating. I left the dinner table, stepped outside, and wept in the bushes," she wrote.
Gradually, with the help of therapy and embracing herself as she is, Tallulah started confronting her fears and actively participating alongside her family in Bruce's care. Despite his condition, Bruce continues to exhibit a joyful presence when Tallulah visits his home, where she finds him energetically moving around the kitchen and office. She mentioned that dementia has not impacted his mobility.
“Recovery is probably lifelong, but I now have the tools to be present in all facets of my life, and especially in my relationship with my dad, I can bring him an energy that’s bright and sunny, no matter where I’ve been. In the past, I was so afraid of being destroyed by sadness, but finally, I feel that I can show up and be relied upon. I can savor that time, hold my dad’s hand, and feel that it’s wonderful," Tallulah concluded.
