Emma Heming Willis has responded to criticism after revealing that her husband, Bruce Willis, now lives in a nearby second home to improve his dementia care support. The 47-year-old spoke following the ABC special Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey – A Diane Sawyer Special, acknowledging that sharing their private challenges would generate mixed reactions.
Highlighting the Importance of Understanding Caregiving
Heming Willis emphasized that the program helped raise awareness about frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and recognized the polarized reactions from the public. She pointed out the difference between people who form opinions without personal experience and those who truly understand the caregiving journey.
“I think [the special] did a beautiful job at amplifying FTD awareness,”
she said.
“What I knew is that by sharing some of our intimate information that we would see the two camps, right. It would be people with an opinion vs. people with an actual experience.”
Responding to Criticism of Her Role as Caregiver
Emma Heming Willis shared that many online comments unfairly judged her caregiving decisions, often from those unfamiliar with her family’s situation. She stressed that the loud opinions from outsiders lack the context needed to understand what caregiving truly entails.
“The truth is the opinions are so loud and so noisy but if they don’t have the experience of this they don’t get a say and they definitely don’t get a vote,”
she remarked.
Drawing Inspiration from Her Upcoming Book
Following the special, Heming Willis reflected on her forthcoming book, The Unexpected Journey — Finding Strength, Hope and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, set to be released on September 9. The book captures insights and realities from her experience in caregiving.
“Everyone will have an opinion, but you have to remember that most don’t have the experience to back it up,”
she read, quoting her therapist Kathleen Murphy.
“And if that’s the case they shouldn’t offer their two cents about it and you shouldn’t pay them any mind.”
She also highlighted the difficulty outsiders face in comprehending family dynamics and the behavior of the person being cared for:
“They aren’t in your home so they don’t know how your person is behaving or your family dynamics.”
Promoting Support and Connection Over Judgment
Heming Willis concluded by underscoring how caregivers often face unfair criticism from those who have not experienced their challenges firsthand. She framed sharing her family’s story as a way to foster empathy and solidarity rather than invite judgment.
“Too often, caregivers are judged quickly and unfairly by those who haven’t lived this journey or stood on the front lines of it,”
she wrote alongside her video.
“Sharing openly may invite opinions, but more importantly, it creates connection and validation for those actually navigating the realities of caregiving every day.”
Her goal in being open about their journey is to build a community of support for others in similar situations:
“That’s who I share for and so I can build a deeper connection with a community that understands this journey.”
