Emma Heming Willis revealed in an emotional interview that before her husband Bruce Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), she “100% thought about divorce.” She admitted feeling frustrated and detached, not realizing it was early signs of the disease. “We were so connected…and yet all of a sudden, things just started falling apart,” she told Oprah Winfrey.

The couple married in 2009 and raised two daughters together, blending their family with Willis’ three older children. For years they appeared united, but in 2022 his family announced he was stepping away from acting. By 2023, it was confirmed he had FTD, a progressive brain disease with no cure. “FTD is just an unkind, cruel disease. Your brain is degenerating, it’s dying…and to have to witness it is traumatic,” Heming Willis said.

Now 70, Bruce has lost much of his ability to speak. “Bruce is in really great health overall, you know. It’s just his brain that is failing him,” she explained, noting they’ve adapted new ways to communicate.

In September, Heming Willis shared that he now lives apart with professional caregivers. “It was the safest and best decision, not just for Bruce, but also for our two young girls,” she said.

Despite the heartbreak, she cherishes their time together and longs for one simple gift: “I would really love…just to have a conversation with him.”