Bruce Willis’s wife, Emma Heming Willis, has asked photojournalists to keep their distance and stop yelling at her husband on the street when they see him. In a plea via Instagram over the weekend, Heming Willis has commented that “there is still a lot of education that needs to be done” about people living with dementia.
Emma has recounted a recent incident in which photographers tried to arouse the dementia-diagnosed actor as he was meeting friends for coffee in Santa Monica. The 44-year-old model noted how “difficult and stressful it can be for someone” with Bruce Willis’s diagnosis.
“This video is for the photographers and video people who are trying to get those scoops out of my husband: I ask that you keep your space,” she said in the video. “I know this is your job, but I just ask that you keep your space”. “It allows our family or whoever is with him that day to get him from point A to point B safely,” she added.
Heming Willis added in the video caption: “For other caregivers or dementia care specialists navigating this world… Any tips or advice on how to safely get your loved ones out into the world? Please share below.”
Since his retirement, the actor has rarely been seen in public. Recently, his wife also revealed that what the actor suffered from was frontotemporal dementia, a disorder that affects the lobes of the brain behind the forehead. These lobes are responsible for behavior, problem solving, planning, and emotions, and people with this type of dementia tend to have difficulty expressing themselves or understanding language. Additionally, symptoms of frontotemporal dementia include personality changes, obsessive behavior, and speech difficulties.