The wife of legendary actor Bruce Willis, Emma Hemming Willis, just sent an emotional post to the paparazzi asking them to keep their space in light of her husband’s diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
Willis has obviously had some raw encounters with the press after her husband retired from acting last year due to an aphasia diagnosis. She offered the press this advice in her message: “I know this is your job, but maybe just keep your space,” Willis said.
“Please don’t be yelling at my husband, asking him how he’s doing, or whatever. The woo-hooing and the yippee-ki-yay’s — just don’t do it. Give him the space. Allow for our family or whoever’s with him that day to be able to get him from Point A to Point B safely. That’s my PSA.”
She went on to explain what it is like to care for him describing the stress that comes from looking after someone with dementia.
“It’s clear that there’s still a lot of education that needs to be put forth,” Willis said. “So this one is going out to the photographers and the video people that are trying to get those exclusives of my husband out and about. Just keep your space.”
She also asked for help from the fans who love her husband. She wanted to get tips and advice from others who are caregivers or dementia care specialists. Willis invited them to share in the comments.
Willis has been open about her husband’s condition through her social media posts in the past. In a post last year, she expressed gratitude to the fans for their support and talked about the challenges Bruce is facing with FTD. She said that communication is one symptom of the disease and that although it is painful for her family, it is a relief to have a clear diagnosis.
Emma Heming Willis, Bruce Willis' wife, is pleading with paparazzi to give the longtime actor "space" and to not yell at him when he's in public, as his dementia progresses.
https://t.co/ROTiY4hHot— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 6, 2023
