Emma Heming says that life is “a lot calmer” for husband Bruce Willis and their family, now that the actor lives in a separate home while battling a subtype of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), primary progressive aphasia (PPA).
“It was the hardest thing,” Heming, 49, told People of making that decision, explaining that Willis’ neurodegenerative disease “requires a calm and serene atmosphere.”
She explained that the family’s “second home,” which is located nearby, provides a quiet, comfortable and safe environment for the actor, 70, who is able to receive round-the-clock care there.
The separate residence also gives the couple’s daughters — Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11 — the opportunity to be their high-spirited kid selves.
“We have two young children, and it was just important that they had a home that supported their needs and that Bruce could have a place that supported his needs.
“The kids can have playdates and sleepovers [again] and not have to walk around tiptoeing,” Heming said, adding that “everything just feels a lot calmer, more at ease now.”
When Heming — who acknowledged how fortunate her family is to have the means to facilitate the new living arrangement — revealed the news last month, she was met with quite a bit of criticism.
“Dementia plays out differently in everyone’s home, and you have to do what’s right for your family dynamic and what’s right for your person,” she told People.
“It’s heartbreaking to me. But this is how we were able to support our whole family, [and] it has opened up Bruce’s world.”
Heming made sure to note that separate homes doesn’t mean separate lives, as she often spends her days with Willis. Their daughters also keep clothes, toys and arts-and-crafts supplies at their dad’s house.
“I get to go back to being Bruce’s wife and the kids can be kids, and there’s beauty in that and I’m so grateful for that,” she marveled. “I just get to be with him in these moments, and that is because of this setup we have. It’s been helpful for us.”
The Willis family announced in March 2022 that Bruce had aphasia and would therefore be retiring from his decades-long acting career.
They revealed his FTD diagnosis the following February.
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