Bruce Willis thanks LA wildfire first responders in first public appearance since diagnosis
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Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in 2023. Bruce Willis appears to have made his first public appearance in over one year to show his appreciation for first responders as the Los Angeles wildfires continue. On Thursday (January 16) the Die Hard actor’s wife Emma Heming Willis shared a video on Instagram showing her husband shaking a police officer’s hand and then posing for a photo with another officer.
“Spotting a first responder, Bruce never missed a chance to show his gratitude with a heartfelt handshake and a ‘thank you for your service.’ Yesterday was no different,” her caption read. Willis’s family first revealed he would be “stepping away” from acting after he had been diagnosed with aphasia which was “impacting his cognitive abilities” in March 2022.
One year later, in a joint statement shared with the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, his family revealed that his condition had progressed. “We now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia (known as FTD),” they wrote. “Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces. While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis.”.
Calling it a “cruel disease”, they went on to say that “FTD is the most common form of dementia, and because getting the diagnosis can take years, FTD is likely much more prevalent than we know.”. “Today there are no treatments for the disease, a reality that we hope can change in the years ahead. As Bruce’s condition advances, we hope that any media attention can be focused on shining a light on this disease that needs far more awareness and research,” they added.
