Bruce Willis’ wife Emma Heming posts emotional essay on complications holidays bring amid Die Hard star’s dementia battle

Bruce Willis’ wife, Emma Heming, has opened up about how her interpretation of the holiday season changed during Willis’ years-long health struggle with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia.

In his article published on his website, 47-year-old Heming explained in detail what he went through while taking care of his sick wife. Holidays Look Different Now.

“Holidays have a way of holding up a mirror, reflecting who we are, who we are, and what we imagine we would be,” said the former model, who shares daughters Mabel Ray, 13, and Evelyn, 11, with the Die Hard actor, 70.

Heming said: ‘When you’re caring for someone with dementia, this thought can feel particularly poignant.

‘Traditions that once seemed effortless require planning; too much planning. ‘Moments that once brought uncomplicated joys can come entangled in a web of pain.’

Heming, who has a skin care company called CocoBaba and a healthy living organization called Make Time Wellness, said that he is hopeful that the end of the year will bring positive developments despite these negativities.

In an article titled ‘Holidays Look Different Now’ published on his website, Heming detailed the challenges he faced while caring for his sick wife. A picture taken in Los Angeles last month

“There may still be heat,” Heming said. ‘There can still be joy. I’ve learned that holidays don’t disappear when dementia enters your life. “They are changing.”

Heming said he believes it is appropriate for people who have lost a loved one’s health to grieve, even if the person has not yet died.

‘Grief doesn’t just belong to death,’ Heming said. ‘Carers know all too well the change and the ambiguous loss. It’s about realizing that things won’t turn out the way they once did.

‘It belongs to the absence of routines, conversations or roles with which you were once so familiar that you could never imagine them ending.’

Heming, who married the Pulp Fiction actor in March 2009, looked back on the years when his wife especially enjoyed holiday celebrations.

‘For me, holidays hold memories with Bruce at the center of it all. Heming loved this time of year; energy, spending time with family, traditions. ‘He was the pancake maker, the man who came out of the snow with the kids, the steady presence who wandered around the house as the day progressed.’

Heming said that, as ‘a creature of habit’, he ‘finds comfort in the routine of knowing exactly how the day will go’; this routine was deleted due to The Sixth Sense star’s ongoing health battle.

‘Dementia does not erase these memories,’ Heming said. ‘But it creates a gap between then and now. And this area can hurt.’

Heming, who married the Pulp Fiction actor in March 2009, was photographed with Willis in Los Angeles in 2010.

(L-R) Scout Willis, Bruce Willis, Victoria Rowell and Samuel L. Jackson taken at a holiday parade in 2003.

Heming said that ‘grief experienced during the holidays can arise in unexpected ways through common triggers.’

‘It might come while you’re taking out decorations from storage, wrapping gifts, or listening to a familiar song,’ or it ‘could catch you off guard in the middle of a room full of people or in a quiet moment when everyone has gone to bed,’ she said.

Heming said he missed ‘the way he once managed holidays’ and was uncomfortable ‘being reminded once again of how things have changed’ in the wake of the health crisis.

“If you’re feeling that mixed grief (and yes, distress), you’re not doing the holiday wrong,” she said. ‘

Heming added, ‘You are responding honestly to a very real loss. ‘You may miss what was, but you can still bring forth what is.’

Heming said that ‘one of the hardest parts of the holiday as a carer is both the internal and external pressure to make everything feel ‘normal’.

‘We are surrounded by images of what the holidays should be like: perfectly decorated houses, joyful gatherings, smiling faces captured in matching pajamas.’

He added: ‘Even if we know these images have been chosen, they can still create a sense of failure and extra loss when our reality doesn’t match. ‘When dementia becomes part of your family, ‘normal’ becomes a moving target.’

Heming is photographed at a book signing at Carefest 2025 held at the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice in New York on November 19

Heming became his sick wife’s caregiver during her years-long health struggle

Heming said he hopes ‘the holidays will stay the way they are’ but he’s learned that ‘flexibility doesn’t mean giving up.’

Heming continued: ‘It adapts. It’s choosing compassion and authenticity over perfection.’

Heming reminded his followers of a few important lessons to keep in mind as the year draws to a close: ‘You’re not failing if things look different; You’re adapting.’

Heming continued: ‘You don’t owe anyone an explanation for how you choose to celebrate or not celebrate.’

He added: ‘It’s okay to simplify; Less can be more; and that Sorrow is not a sign of ingratitude. It’s a sign of love;’ and ‘Joy doesn’t have to be loud to be real.’

It’s been almost four years since Heming made a joint statement on Instagram with his two daughters and Willis’ ex-wife Demi Moore (61) and their daughters Rumer (37), Scout (34), Tallulah (31). Willis was stepping back from acting due to his aphasia diagnosis.

In the statement dated March 30, 2022, it was stated that Willis had some health problems and was recently diagnosed with aphasia, which affects his cognitive abilities.

‘As a result, and with much consideration, Bruce is stepping away from the career that meant so much to him. ‘This is a truly challenging time for our family and we are so grateful for your continued love, compassion and support.’

They continued: ‘We’re going through this as a strong family unit and we wanted to bring his fans along because we know how much you mean to him. As Bruce always says, “Live it” and that’s what we plan to do together.’