ABC News special traces Bruce Willis's shift to FTD

A new ABC News special centered on Bruce Willis and his wife Emma Heming Willis reveals how the actor’s health has evolved from an aphasia diagnosis to a broader frontotemporal dementia condition, and how the family is adapting to a new normal. The 60-minute program, anchored by veteran journalist Diane Sawyer, includes Emma Heming Willis detailing the couple’s daily realities, moments of Bruce’s former warmth breaking through, and expert perspectives on a disease that has reshaped their lives.

Bruce Willis, the longtime action star known for Die Hard and a prolific film career, was diagnosed with aphasia in 2022, a cognitive disorder that impairs language and communication. In February 2023, the family announced that his condition had progressed to frontotemporal dementia, a progressive neurological disorder that can affect language, behavior and mobility. Emma Heming Willis says the brain changes, not Bruce’s overall vitality, are the challenge now. She notes that Bruce remains physically mobile and active with family, but the language and cognitive aspects have required new ways of communicating and engaging with him. “The language is going,” she explains, adding that the...