ABC News Special Sheds Light on Bruce Willis’s Battle with Dementia

NEW YORK, August 26, 2025 - In an emotional ABC News special airing tonight, Emma & Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey, actress Emma Heming Willis offers a candid look at her husband Bruce Willis’s ongoing struggle with frontotemporal dementia. The program, anchored by veteran journalist Diane Sawyer, premieres at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and will stream the following day on Disney+ and Hulu.

Heming Willis, who has become a leading advocate for dementia caregivers, reveals that while Bruce remains physically healthy and mobile, his “brain is failing him,” with language loss as the primary and most devastating symptom of his rare neurodegenerative disease. In a preview on Good Morning America, she describes how the couple has developed new methods of communication to connect with Bruce as his ability to speak and comprehend fades.

“I’m grateful that my husband is still very much here, and we still catch those moments - his hearty laugh, the twinkle in his eye - but it’s heartbreaking when they disappear just as quickly,” Heming Willis told Sawyer. She also discusses the isolation and anxiety she experienced early in her role as caregiver, often lying awake worrying about Bruce’s safety and feeling compelled to shield their daughters from public life.

The special not only chronicles Bruce Willis’s storied career-from his breakout on Moonlighting to blockbuster hits like Die Hard and The Sixth Sense-but also underscores the urgent need for greater support and resources for families affected by dementia. Heming Willis’s forthcoming book, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, is due September 9 and aims to serve as a guide for the millions navigating similar challenges.

Emma & Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey airs tonight at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and will be available for streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.