Demi Moore ‘Has Vowed Never to Abandon’ Ailing Ex-Husband Bruce Willis Amid ‘Die Hard’ Star’s Gruelling Dementia Fight
The actress said she's encouraged her three daughters to 'meet' their dad 'where (he's) at'.
July 25 2024, Published 8:00 a.m. ET
As Bruce Willis’ frontotemporal dementia progresses, ex-wife Demi Moore has remained by his side.
The actress is said to have “vowed” to support her ex-husband — who she shares three adult children with — and sources confirmed she's stayed true to her word, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Moore has ‘vowed’ to support Willis and their blended family in the wake of his diagnosis.
Willis’ family shared in 2022 that the Die Hard star, 69, was retiring from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, a brain disorder that impacts the ability to communicate. Less than a year later, it was revealed he'd been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
As the former action star’s health deteriorates, an insider told RadarOnline.com: “Demi has vowed to stay by his side. Her heart aches as he struggles with this horrible disease.”
Willis retired from acting in 2022 after being diagnosed with aphasia. He received a frontotemporal dementia diagnosis less than a year later.
The source added Moore, 61, has insisted on being involved with Willis' care in an effort to support his current wife, Emma Heming, 46, and her two daughters — Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 10 — as well as her children — Rumer, 25, Scout, 33, and Tallulah, 30.
They said: “Demi knows that time is slipping away.”
While the Sixth Sense actor's health has taken a turn and he “can’t speak much at all”, the family “senses what he’s saying, what he needs by a look” – including Moore, who has continued to show up for her ex-husband and their blended family.
The insider revealed the Ghost actress visits Willis “at least once a week” and added: “She will never abandon him or let him down.”
Willis and second wife Heming married in 2009 and share two daughters.
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Since receiving his diagnosis, Willis’ family have made a point to surround him and spend as much time with the Hollywood legend as possible. Heming opened up about the complexities her family faced navigating “grief, loss and immense sadness” in Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper last December.
Heming said: “And I have hope in how our entire family can find joy in the small things, and in coming together to celebrate all the moments life has to offer.”
Insiders previously remarked Heming was “grateful” to have the support of her husband’s ex-wife.
The source said: “It’s been incredibly difficult for Emma to manage Bruce's care, their two young daughters, and the grief she's experiencing. So Demi isn't stepping on her toes. Demi is actually a lifesaver.”
And Moore wasn't burdened by stepping up the plate, making sure “every holiday, birthday, and get-together is as celebratory as possible”.
Sources revealed Moore insisted she would never ‘abandon’ her ex-husband amid his health crisis.
Moore has made an effort to share happy moments with Willis' fans as well. For his 68th birthday last March, Moore threw her ex-husband a grand celebration and posted a video of Unbreakable star smiling as he was sung happy birthday.
A source explained: “He wanted his fans to see it. He wanted to send them a message — that he‘ll always find joy in his life, even now.”
Moore and Willis met in 1987 at a film premiere that she attended with ex-fiancé Emilio Estevez. The pair were married for 11 years before they called their marriage quits in 1998. Their divorce was finalized in 2000.