Bruce Willis’ wife Emma Heming opens up about feelings of ‘guilt’ following actor’s dementia diagnosis

Emma Heming Willis has revealed why she thinks it's important for her to speak out about Bruce's dementia diagnosis.

The Expendables star's family publicly stated he'd been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) earlier this year.

FTD - where the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain shrink - can lead to a variety of behavioral changes and speech and language problems.

Willis' wife Emma has since opened up about why she feels a sense of 'guilt' surrounding her husband's diagnosis.

Emma has been very publicly outspoken about Willis' condition and how it impacts not only the actor, but the rest of the family too.

In August, she confirmed Willis' condition wasn't 'treatable' and had 'progressed,' explaining she's 'not good' and feels like she has to 'make a conscious effort every single day to live the best life' she can.

"I do that for myself. I do that for our two children. And Bruce, who would not want me to live any other way. So, I don’t want it to be misconstrued," she continued, in a video posted to Instagram.

"I have to put my best foot forward for the sake of myself and of my family. When we are not looking after ourselves, we cannot look after anyone that we love."

However, Emma has since admitted while she wants to continuing speaking openly about when she's struggling with her husband's illness, she feels a sense of 'guilt' at the same time.

Getty Images/ VCG/ VCG

In an op-ed for Maria Shrivers' Sunday Paper, released on 12 November, Emma admits she struggles 'with guilt' because she knows her family has 'resources that others don't' which help manage Willis' condition.

She says: "When I’m able to get out for a hike to clear my head, it’s not lost on me that not all care partners can do that. When what I share about our family’s journey gets press attention, I know that there are many thousands of untold, unheard stories, each of them deserving of compassion and concern.

"At the same time, I see that what I share matters to others who may be struggling, and in a small way makes them feel seen and understood. I want people to know that when I hear from another family affected by FTD, I hear our family’s same story of grief, loss, and immense sadness echoed in theirs.

"It's important to me to be an advocate on behalf of those families who don’t have the time, energy, or resources to advocate for themselves."