Bruce Willis’ Early Dementia Symptoms Mistaken for Return of Childhood Stutter, Reveals Wife Emma Heming Willis

The early signs of Bruce Willis’ dementia went unnoticed, initially dismissed as the return of a childhood stutter, according to his wife, Emma Heming Willis. Speaking candidly with Town & Country, the 46-year-old revealed how subtle symptoms of the Die Hard star’s frontotemporal dementia (FTD) were overlooked at first, with family and friends attributing changes in his speech to his lifelong stutter.

“Bruce has always had a stutter, but he has been good at covering it up,” Emma explained, recalling the initial indicators of his illness. As the symptoms began to emerge, they were subtle and affected Bruce’s speech. She shared that “it started with language,” adding, “For Bruce, it started in his temporal lobes and then has spread to the frontal part of his brain. It attacks and destroys a person’s ability to walk, think, make decisions.”

At the onset, even close family members believed it was simply a reemergence of his stutter. “As his language started changing, it [seemed like it] was just a part of a stutter, it was just Bruce,” she said. However, as the symptoms progressed, it became evident that something more serious was affecting him.

“Never in a million years would I think it would be a form of dementia for someone so young,” Emma expressed, reflecting on the shock of the diagnosis for a man known for his sharp wit and iconic roles.

The journey to diagnosis was gradual. “I say that FTD whispers, it doesn’t shout. It’s hard for me to say, ‘This is where Bruce ended, and this is where his disease started to take over,’” Emma explained. Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia two years ago, but Emma noted that a year prior, doctors provided a tentative diagnosis of aphasia, a language disorder that is often a symptom of a larger neurological issue but not a disease in itself.

Emma’s words reflect the difficulty of recognizing and understanding the onset of FTD, a rare form of dementia that primarily impacts the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, affecting behavior, language, and motor skills. As she continues to support her husband through his diagnosis, Emma is also raising awareness of the subtle and complex nature of frontotemporal dementia, which often manifests in ways that can be easy to overlook or misinterpret.

Through her story, Emma highlights the challenges faced by families dealing with dementia and the importance of early diagnosis and support, giving fans and loved ones a deeper understanding of Bruce Willis’ ongoing health journey.