After establishing a solid career as an action movie star, Bruce Willis has withdrawn significantly from the spotlight, filling his days with quality family time. This retirement followed his diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), but his family has shared that his face still lights right up when he sees his granddaughter.
This latest update comes from Willis’ daughter, 35-year-old Rumer, who, last April, gave birth to her first child with Derek Richard Thomas, a daughter they named Louetta Isley Thomas Willis. Updates from Willis’ family, which includes wife Emma Heming, ex-wife Demi Moore, and his adult daughters Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah, sometimes paint a somber picture of his mental health, but when it comes to his granddaughter, Willis appears able to enjoy the sweet, meaningful moments with the baby.
Bruce Willis’ family reveals what he’s like with the cameras no longer rolling
Fans have seen him as a comedy master in Moonlighting and as an action-hero icon in Die Hard as well as countless other films since. But what is Willis like as a grandfather, and in the context of his struggles with dementia?
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Actually, referencing his filmography can give outsiders a bit of an idea.
“The most perfect example of who my dad is in real life is his character on Moonlighting,” said Rumer. “So charming, so funny, so silly … kind of mischievous glint in his eye and, [he is] kind and sweet. And so I feel like that’s really the epitome of who my dad is. And that is so true to this day.”
Rumer Willis reveals that Grandpa Bruce Willis lights up when seeing his granddaughter
According to Rumer, Willis has had an influence on the family that spans generations, and one that is colored by his compassion. “He’s so incredibly loving and kind,” added Rumer. “My dad is absolutely the reason I like my taste in music [and for] some of my humor. Both of my parents are so silly.” That musical taste inspired Louetta’s name, which Rumer describes as a mix of “Louis Armstrong, Etta James and the Isley Brothers.”
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Willis is enchanted by the daughter he indirectly helped name. Rumer added, “His face lights up when he sees Louetta. And I’m just so grateful to have that kind of spark of mischief and fun and and play no matter what age I am.”
In exchange, Willis has been christened Papa or Granddaddio, the latter of which is Rumer’s favorite because she used to call Willis “Daddio” growing up.
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