Bruce Willis’ daughter Rumer Willis has given an update on her dad’s health and asked his fans sent him birthday wishes as he turns 70 today.
In February 2023, a year after the Die Hard star took a break from acting due to him battling aphasia, his family revealed he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. Last month, a source close to the actor said told Life & Style that while his spirit is still there, ”he’s not the same Bruce anymore”.
Now Rumer has given a positive update on the actor’s health during a Q+A session on her Instagram stories on Tuesday (18 March). After one person asked: ”How’s your dad doing?” and the actress replied, ”He’s doing great, thank you for asking.”
She also urged folk to wish the actor a happy birthday, saying: ”It is actually his 70th birthday tomorrow so please wish my papa a big happy birthday.” Bruce’s daughter filmed the video while sitting in front of a large couch in a huge living room.
Willis shares Rumer and his two daughters Scout and Tallulah with actress Demi Moore, who he was married to between 1987 through 2000. After they split, he married Emma Heming In 2009 and they share two daughters Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 10.
Last month Rumer told ITV in an interview that her dad was doing well and that her family is supporting each other. She said: ”He’s doing great. I think, obviously as many people in California, the thing we’re all kind of the most scared, dealing with is just fires and wanting to make sure everything is okay. Because my family, we’re all so close, I think what’s so beautiful is the way that we rally around each other, [it’s] so lovely, because we really are a unit.”
Rumer also praised Bruce and Demi’s relationship with each other and their kids since they split. She said: ”I think the thing I’m most grateful for is that even when they split up, they created such a beautiful foundation of prioritizing my sisters and I, that I never felt like I had to choose or like, they never played against each other. ”
She added: ”We were a family, and we still are very much a family no matter what… ”And not only did I feel like that has set me up in my life to have such a beautiful foundation of my own family, but now, as I’m working through co-parenting as well, I feel deep gratitude for the example they’ve set.”
Frontotemporal dementia is a degenerative disease, which causes behavioural changes and communication difficulties. Most cases are diagnosed in people aged 45-65, although it can also affect younger or older people.
Frontotemporal dementia affects the front and sides of the brain. Like other types of dementia, it tends to develop slowly and get gradually worse over several years.