Emma Heming Willis made a plea for paparazzi chasing her husband Bruce Willis, who was recently diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
To raise “dementia awareness,” Heming Willis posted a video to Instagram urging photographers and videographers to stop yelling at the “Die Hard” star when he spends time with loved ones in public. Willis’s family revealed in February that the actor’s condition has “worsened” since being diagnosed with aphasia last spring – “just a symptom of the illness Bruce is dealing with”.
“This one goes to the photographers and the video guys trying to get these exclusives from my husband,” Heming Willis said in her Instagram post.
“Just sit there. I know it’s your job, but… please don’t yell at my husband and ask him how he’s doing or whatever… just don’t do it, okay? Give him his space, let our family – or whoever is with him that day – get him safely from point A to point B. This is my PPE.”
Heming Willis’s comments were prompted by recent headlines and a video of her husband “drinking coffee with some friends doing stand-up work to protect him.”
“If you’re caring for someone with dementia, you know how difficult and stressful it can be to get someone into the world and navigate it safely,” says Heming Willis. “If only to get a cup of coffee.”
In March 2022, Willis’ family announced that the 67-year-old action star would “quit” his acting career while living with aphasia, a neurological condition. that affects a person’s ability to understand and communicate with others. Last month, the family had to make “a more specific diagnosis”: FTD.
“Bruce has always believed in using his voice in the world to help others and raise awareness on important issues, both public and private,” the family said.
“We know in our hearts that if he could today, he would like to respond by bringing global awareness and connection to those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it affects so many people and their families.”
Source: LA Times