Emma Heming Willis, the wife of Bruce Willis, asked paparazzi to keep their space following the famed actor’s frontotemporal dementia, or FTD, diagnosis in an emotional Instagram video this weekend.
Willis opened up about an encounter between her husband — who retired from acting last year due to an aphasia diagnosis — and photographers as she offered them advice in the 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.”
Willis reflected in the video on the difficulty and stress that comes with 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.”
Willis has been open about her husband’s condition via her social media posts including in a photo caption shared last month.
Willis, in a post highlighting her husband’s battle with FTD, expressed gratitude to her husband’s fans for their support and weighed in on the challenges he faces.
“Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces,” she wrote. “While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis.”
