Bruce Willis’ daughter Tallulah shares update on dad’s ‘aggressive’ dementia
Topics: Bruce Willis, Health, Celebrity
Emily Brown
Featured Image Credit: The Drew Barrymore Show / @demimoore / Instagram
Topics: Bruce Willis, Health, Celebrity
Bruce Willis’ daughter Tallulah remained positive as she gave an update about the actor's health after he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of dementia.
Tallulah spoke about her dad's wellbeing during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show this week, after her family first announced her dad's diagnosis earlier this year.
Willis was first diagnosed with aphasia, which causes difficulty with language or speech, before the condition progressed to frontotemporal dementia, which can affect personality, behavior, language and movement.
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His family have been candid about his health throughout the process, and Tallulah remained honest when she offered an update to Barrymore.
She explained: "He is the same, which I think in this regard I've learned is the best thing you can ask for."
Tallulah went on to assure she still sees 'love' when she's with Willis, adding: "And it's my dad and he loves me, which is really special."
Following her dad's diagnosis, Tallulah set about becoming an 'archaeologist' to his 'world' as she's been archiving all of his 'little trinkets and doodads'.
"Being able to look through those photos, he's my age... and he's total goofball. He's an absurd person, and I'm an absurd person and so there's a wonderful line of connection," Tallulah said.
When it comes to why the family decided to be so honest with fans about Willis' wellbeing, Tallulah pointed to their desire to raise awareness about the type of dementia the film star has.
"On one hand it's who we are as a family, but also, it's really important for us to spread awareness about FTD," she explained.
"If we can take something that we're struggling with as a family to help other people, to turn it around to make something beautiful about it, that's really special for us."
Tallulah's update comes after Willis' wife, Emma Heming, spoke on the Today show about whether the actor was aware of his dementia.
"[It's] hard to know," she told host Gayle King.
She went on to describe his diagnosis as both 'the blessing and the curse', explaining: "To finally understand what was happening so that I can be into the acceptance of what is.
"It doesn't make it any less painful, but just being in the acceptance and just being in the know of what is happening to Bruce just makes it a little bit easier."
There is currently no cure for frontotemporal dementia, with people diagnosed with the disease typically facing a life expectancy ranging from 7 to 13 years.