Where once he dominated headlines as the quintessential action hero, these days, Bruce Willis is living the quiet life, retired after a life-changing frontotemporal dementia (FTD) diagnosis forever impacted his ability to work. Fans have been treated to a few social media updates about the actor, including a recent one from his daughter Tallulah Willis, who considers this latest snap of Bruce to be pure sunshine whenever a dose of happiness is very much needed.
Willis retired from acting in 2022, originally due to an aphasia diagnosis; aphasia is a cognitive disorder that affects communication, and those with it may have trouble speaking, writing, and listening. The following year, he was diagnosed with FTD, which Tallulah has confirmed is very “aggressive.” Willis’s extended, blended family has balanced sharing updates with maintaining some level of privacy. Here is the latest uplifting snap that Tallulah has shared that is a comfort for those concerned about Willis through this difficult time.
Tallulah shares a photo of dad Bruce Willis that is pure sunshine and hope
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Earlier this week, Tallulah took to Instagram to share a photo of Willis standing beside Tallulah’s boyfriend, Justin Acee. In the picture, Justin is seen wearing a loose, red shirt with several buttons undone. The neck is open, showing off a clunky necklace. Beside him, Willis is seen in a simple maroon T-shirt, with Justin’s hand at his back as both peer at the camera, Justin wearing a smile.
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“This photo is sunshine on a rainy day for me,” Tallulah captioned the photo of Willis and Justin, finishing with a sunshine emoji.
Among her 412k followers on the social media platform, many were just as encouraged by the image as Tallulah was. “Oh this just brings such a smile seeing your dad so happy, brings such a smile to my face,” one fan wrote. “Warms my heart!” another agreed. A different reply reads, “This made my day so happy to see such a lovely photo of your daddy and your love! How very sweet of you to share it with us! Bruce is such a national treasure, and for us fans who love Bruce and all of ya’ll, this brings joy!”
Yet another noted how encouraging it was to see the sprawling support system Willis has, commenting, “He is so fortunate to be surrounded by such a supportive and loving family. You are all inspiring.”
A blended family and devoted support system
It was Willis’s family members who jointly announced that he was retiring from acting. Willis is currently married to Emma Heming, with whom he shares daughters Mabel and Evelyn. His previous marriage to Demi Moore saw them become the parents of daughters Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah. In light of Willis’s diagnosis and subsequent retirement, they have all been spending more time together to better make Willis a priority.
They also made the choice to be transparent about the nature of his diagnosis, a decision driven by multiple factors. “On one hand, it’s who we are as a family,” Tallulah explained, discussing the topic during a visit to The Drew Barrymore Show in late 2023. “But also, it’s really important for us to spread awareness about FTD because there’s not enough information out there.”
Education on the topic was something Tallulah herself was lacking, she also admitted. “I had no idea,” she added. “The bigger version of what I’m trying to do [is] if we can take something that we’re struggling with as a family and individually and help other people to turn it around, to make something beautiful about it, that’s really special for us.”
As a caregiver, Tallulah has been focused on spending quality time with her father and keeping his days enjoyable. “Playing music … and sitting in that and this energy of love, it’s really special,” mused Tallulah. As of November 2023, she felt “He is the same, which, I think, in this regard I’ve learned is the best thing you can ask for,” adding, “I see love when I’m with him, and it’s my dad and he loves me.” Whenever the Willis family needs a bit of sunshine, it seems they can still find plenty with Bruce while also providing the same for him.
