Bruce Willis' Daughter Tallulah Willis Shares Dementia Update
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00:00 What's going on with my dad?
00:02 He has a really aggressive cognitive disease,
00:07 form of dementia that's very rare.
00:09 -Talula Willis is opening up about her dad's health.
00:12 While stopping by the Drew Barrymore Show,
00:14 Bruce Willis' 29-year-old daughter
00:16 shared an update on her father's condition
00:17 amid his battle with frontotemporal dementia.
00:20 -How is he today?
00:21 What state is he in?
00:24 He is the same, which I think in this regard I've learned
00:30 is the best thing that you can ask for.
00:33 And what I see is I see love when I'm with him.
00:38 And it's my dad, and he loves me.
00:40 -Last year, Bruce's family announced
00:42 that he had been diagnosed with aphasia.
00:44 And this February, they shared that he'd been given
00:46 the more specific diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia,
00:49 or FTD, which can affect movement,
00:51 speech, and executive functioning.
00:53 The family has been candid about Bruce's health
00:54 and their journey together,
00:56 and Talula told Drew what that openness stems from.
00:58 -I think on one hand, it's who we are as a family.
01:02 But also, it's really important for us
01:04 to spread awareness about FTD because it's --
01:08 -There's not enough information out there.
01:09 -We had no idea.
01:11 If we can take something that we're struggling with as a family
01:14 and individually, you know, to help other people,
01:20 to turn it around, to make something beautiful about it,
01:25 that's really special.
01:26 -Talula also brought old photos
01:28 she'd found of her dad to the show
01:29 and shared that she'd been combing through them as of late.
01:32 -Part of what's been really --
01:35 a really beautiful way for me to heal through this
01:37 is becoming like an archaeologist to my dad's stuff,
01:41 his world, and his little trinkets and doodads.
01:45 -In addition to Talula,
01:46 Bruce has the support of his ex-wife, Demi Moore,
01:49 and their elder daughters, Rumor and Scout,
01:51 as well as his wife, Emma Hemming Willis,
01:53 and their daughters, Mabel and Evelyn.
01:55 On an interview with "The Today Show" in September,
01:57 Emma opened up about how she explained Bruce's diagnosis
01:59 to their girls, who are 11 and 9.
02:02 -We're a very honest and open household.
02:05 And, you know, the most important thing
02:07 was to be able for us to say what the disease was,
02:11 explain what it is.
02:12 I don't want there to be any stigma or shame
02:16 attached to their dad's diagnosis
02:19 or for any form of dementia.
02:21 -Emma also told "Today" co-host Hoda Kotb
02:24 that she's learned that dementia is hard on the person diagnosed
02:26 and on the family, but that they try to still capture
02:28 moments of happiness through it all.
02:30 -There's so many beautiful things happening in our lives.
02:34 It's just really important for me to look up from the grief
02:39 and the sadness so that I can see
02:42 what is happening around us.
02:44 And, you know, Bruce would really want us
02:46 to be in the joy of what is.
02:51 He would really want that for me and our family.
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