Rumer Willis is sharing an update on how her dad Bruce Willis is doing following hisfrontotemporal dementia diagnosis.
On Thursday, Aug. 22, Rumer, 36, was asked about her father as she answered fans’ questions in an “Ask Me Anything (AMA) Uncensored” shared on her Instagram Stories.
“How’s your dad doing? Sending love to all you guys,” one social media user asked, to which Rumer replied, “He is great, I love him so much. Thank you.”
The family revealed in March 2022 that Bruce, 69, had been diagnosed with aphasia, before his wife Emma Heming Willis, 46, confirmed in February 2023 that he’d been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
Rumer Willis says her dad Bruce “is great” during Instagram Q&A.
Rumer Willis/Instagram
Rumer was previously asked for an update on her dad during an appearance on the Today show in May.
The proud mom said that she loves watching Bruce interact with her daughter Louetta, 16 months, whom she shares with her ex-boyfriend Derek Richard Thomas (Rumer revealed in Thursday’s AMA that she and Thomas had split).
“He’s so good. I actually got to see him right before I came out [to New York],” Rumer told host Hoda Kotb of her dad at the time, adding, “And Lou is just starting to walk a little bit, and she was walking over to him, and it was so sweet.”
Bruce Willis with his daughter Rumer and granddaughter Louetta.
Rumer Glenn Willis/Instagram
The actress continued, “He’s a girl dad, through and through. I saw him with my sisters, my little sisters.”
“So you’re seeing that all come back,” Kotb commented, as Rumer nodded in agreement.
Bruce shares his older daughters Rumer, Scout, 33, and Tallulah, 30, with ex-wife Demi Moore, 61. He is also dad to daughters Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 10, whom he shares with his wife Emma.
Rumer Willis, Demi Moore, Bruce Willis, Scout Willis, Emma Heming Willis and Tallulah Willis. Stefanie Keenan/Getty
She also told Fox News that being transparent about Bruce’s condition can help others going through similar situations with their loved ones.
“I think, for me, through this experience, what’s been so incredible is my dad is so beloved, and that’s been so evident in the transparency with which we’ve been sharing,” she said.
“And I think if there’s any way sharing our experience brings hope — whatever comes forward as a family — that can have an effect and bring any sort of hope, comfort to someone else experiencing that, then to me, that’s … everything,” Rumer added.
Frontotemporal dementia is an all-encompassing term for a group of brain disorders that threatens the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. This means that parts of these lobes atrophy, and the shrinking of these areas can cause speech issues, emotional problems and changes in personality.
Other symptoms can include loss of motor skills — problems walking, swallowing or muscle spasms. Symptoms tend to get worse over time. Patients typically begin to notice symptoms between 40 – 65 years of age, but it can affect people who are younger. It is the most common form of dementia for people under 60.
