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Emma Heming Willis is offering a clearer picture of how the Willis family is preparing for the holidays as Bruce Willis continues to live with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Though the season looks different these days, she says their approach is rooted in both adjustment and keeping meaningful traditions alive.
Speaking in interviews and at recent public events, Emma emphasized that celebrations remain positive, even as the family navigates the realities of Bruce's condition. As she put it, "It's joyous. It's just different." She noted that the action star always had a deep love for the holidays, adding, "Bruce loved Christmas and we love celebrating it with him. It just looks different, so we've kind of adapted to that."
For Emma, embracing the season means striking a balance between honoring the past and creating space for the present. "You have to learn and adapt and make new memories, bring in the same traditions that you had before," she said. "Life goes on. It just goes on." She acknowledged the emotional weight that comes with dementia, but she also highlighted moments that still matter: "Dementia is hard, but there is still joy in it. I think it's important that we don't paint such a negative picture around dementia. We are still laughing. There is still joy. It just looks different."
The family—daughters Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11, along with Bruce's older children Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31—is making sure he remains at the center of their traditions, even though he no longer lives at home. Emma has spoken openly about how her daughters cope with seeing their father "missing important milestones" while learning to adjust to their new reality.
Emma also addressed some of the criticism she has faced regarding decisions about her husband's care. During a panel discussion, she recalled Bruce's own attitude toward detractors, telling the audience, "F*** em! As Bruce would say." She admitted that managing his condition has required "impossible decisions," many of which she made knowing they could be misunderstood.
Even with the challenges, she remains focused on presence and connection. "I think that just being able to be present with Bruce, that is the joy," she said. "Those are the moments."
