Bruce Willis smiles as he interacts with police officers amid dementia battle

Bruce Willis He recently made a rare public appearance to thank first responders amid the Los Angeles wildfires, marking his first regular appearance since his 2022 aphasia diagnosis, later confirmed as fronto-temporal dementia (FTD).

his wife, Emma Hemming Willishas been open about the actor’s health struggles, emphasizing honesty with their children while raising awareness of frontotemporal dementia.

Despite the emotional toll, Bruce Willis’ wife remains committed to supporting their family and honoring their 17-year relationship.

Bruce was seen in a short clip personally thanking first responders in Los Angeles amid the ongoing wildfires.

His wife, Emma, ​​shared the moment on Instagram, posting a black-and-white video showing the 69-year-old actor wearing a New York Yankees hat while warmly shaking the hand of a Los Angeles police officer and posing for a photo.

Bruce looked happy in the clip as he interacted with first responders. Commenting on the post, Emma, ​​46, stated that the video was filmed a day ago.

“Through his first responder discovery, Bruce never missed an opportunity to show his gratitude with a sincere handshake and a ‘thank you for your service.’ Yesterday was no different,” she wrote.

Bruce’s daughter with ex-wife Demi Moore, Tallulah Willis, expressed her happiness after seeing her father’s video, saying: “This makes my heart so full.”

Fans were also left feeling emotional at seeing Bruce out amid his battle with dementia.

One person said, “Wow, wow, Bruce looks great. (I was the 24/7 caregiver for my father who has vascular dementia)…getting out in the sun and socializing is so important. The Willis family, you are doing an amazing job.”

“He’s always been great with the crowd and a great human being. Cognitive deficits can’t take that from him,” another fan noted.

The Instagram clip marks Bruce’s first public appearance since 2022, after his family announced he had been diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder that led him to step away from acting.

In 2023, the Willis family revealed that Bruce had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a progressive disorder that causes shrinkage of the frontal and temporal regions of the brain.

On December 29, Emma, ​​who married Bruce in 2009, shared a touching Instagram post in honor of their first date.

The photo showed the couple standing in shallow water at sunset and wearing swimsuits. “17 years of us,” the actress wrote in the caption.

I have honestly thought about how anniversaries, which were once full of excitement, now bring a mixture of emotions.

“To be honest, they bring up all the emotions, and leave a heaviness in my heart and a pit in my stomach,” she admitted.

Emma said she allowed herself to sit for 30 minutes with the pain and sadness, wondering “why him, why us.”

However, after that, she chose to move on and focus on what was left: unconditional love.

She added in her anniversary post: “I feel so happy to know that, thanks to him. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

In an October interview with Town & Country MagazineHemming revealed that she had no intention of lying to her two young daughters, Mabel (12 years old) and Evelyn (10 years old) about the health of their father, Bruce.

The model told the publication that the children witnessed the movie star’s health “deteriorate” before he was diagnosed with dementia.

“I’ve never tried to sweeten anything for them. They’ve grown up with Willis declining over the years,” Emma said. “I’m not trying to protect them from it.”

She also revealed that Willis’ illness is often “misdiagnosed” and “misunderstood,” noting that getting the proper diagnosis helped her understand what the actor was going through.

“Finally getting a diagnosis was key, so I could learn what frontotemporal dementia was and be able to educate our children,” she said.

Hemming also noted that signs of Willis’ struggle with dementia were not immediately apparent, referring to the disease as “whispers.”

Last month, Bruce’s ex-wife, Demi Moore, gave an update on his health amid his battle with dementia.

In an interview with CNNThe 62-year-old explained that the actor is “in a very stable place,” but it hasn’t been easy to watch him suffer.

“Looking at the data, he is in a very stable place right now,” she said. “I’ve shared this before, but I mean this with all sincerity. It’s so important for anyone dealing with this to really meet them where they are, and from that place, there is such love and joy.”

Moore added that watching a loved one suffer from this condition is “very difficult” and “is not what I would wish on anyone.”

“There is great loss, but there is also beauty and wonderful gifts that can come from it,” she added.