Bruce Willis’ battle with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) has changed the way the holidays look for his family, including Emma Heming, his wife of 16 years.
In a new blog post, Heming detailed the heartbreaking mix of grief and joy she must contend with as she wrestles with her husband being unable to do some of the things he loved while also continuing to cherish the time they have left together.
A lot of ‘change’ amid Willis’ battle
Willis, 70, announced his diagnosis with FTD in February 2023. Last summer, Heming, 47, revealed that she and the legendary actor had begun living in separate homes, as the arrangement made it easier for Willis to receive medical care.
Throughout the Christmas season, Heming said coming to grips with all of the changes stemming from her husband’s condition can be tough, but that the holidays can still provide an escape and much-needed joy.
“Traditions that once felt somewhat effortless require planning- lots of planning,” she wrote. “Moments that once brought uncomplicated joy may arrive tangled in a web of grief. I know this because I’m living it. Yet despite that, there can still be meaning. There can still be warmth. There can still be joy. I’ve learned that the holidays don’t disappear when dementia enters your life. They change.”
Making space for grief
Heming said one of the hardest things is grieving the life she and Willis had before his illness, particularly because the Die Hard performer enjoyed being the “center of it all” during the holidays.
“He loved this time of year- the energy, family time, the traditions,” Heming said. “He was the pancake-maker, the get-out-in-the-snow-with-the-kids guy, the steady presence moving through the house as the day unfolded. There was comfort in the routine of knowing exactly how the day would go, especially since I’m a creature of habit. Dementia doesn’t erase those memories. But it does create space between then and now. And that space can ache.”
What’s left is attempting to make new memories while still holding onto the old ones, a balance that Heming admitted she still struggles with.
However, the mother of two is moving forward with the usual holiday traditions, adapted for the family’s current situation.
“This holiday season, our family will still unwrap gifts and sit together at breakfast,” she said. “But instead of Bruce making our favorite pancakes, I will. And no, I can’t share the secret family recipe. We’ll put on a holiday movie. There will be laughter and cuddles. And there will almost certainly be tears because we can grieve and make room for joy. The joy doesn’t cancel out the sadness. The sadness doesn’t cancel out the joy. They coexist.”
This story was originally published by Men’s Journal on Dec 22, 2025, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.