Emma Heming Willis clarified a major “misconception” about husband Bruce Willis’ frontotemporal dementia diagnosis.
During an appearance on “The Bossticks” podcast Monday, the former model explained that the “Die Hard” actor’s brain disorder, which affects his frontal lobe and the temporal lobes, actually has “three different variants.”
“The one that Bruce has affects language, but there’s another variant that will affect behavior and another one that could affect movement,” she shared.
When asked if the variant that Bruce, 71, has affects memory, Emma replied, “No, it doesn’t.”
“That’s a different part of the brain. So when people say, ‘Oh, you know, does he remember who you are?’ Well, he does because he doesn’t have Alzheimer’s; he has FTD,” Emma clarified.
“I think that’s a very common misconception that, when you think of dementia, we think of memory loss,” she added.
Emma, 47, then declared that her husband knows who people are, including his five daughters.
“It’s different [from] Alzheimer’s,” she said. “And Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, but FTD is the most common form of dementia for people under the age of 60.”
In March 2022, the Willis family announced that the “Fifth Element” star would be stepping away from acting after he was diagnosed with aphasia. The following February, the action star’s family said he was battling FTD.
“While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis,” the Willis family — Emma, ex-wife Demi Moore and all five of Bruce’s daughters — said on the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration website at the time.
“FTD is a cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and can strike anyone. For people under 60, FTD is the most common form of dementia, and because getting the diagnosis can take years, FTD is likely much more prevalent than we know,” they continued.
The family said that though there “are no treatments for the disease,” they “hope” they change that in the years ahead.
“As Bruce’s condition advances, we hope that any media attention can be focused on shining a light on this disease that needs far more awareness and research,” they added.
Emma and her husband are living in separate homes as the “Sixth Sense” star’s dementia battle progresses.
The “Unexpected Journey” author and Bruce share daughters Mabel, 14, and Evelyn, 12.
The former action star is also a dad to Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 32, whom he shares with Moore, 63.
