Demi Moore is addressing her ex-husband’s mental decline and praising his wife in the process.
“The Substance” actress, 62, spoke out about Bruce Willis’ health struggles on Tuesday’s episode of “The Oprah Podcast” with host Oprah Winfrey, and revealed she has “so much compassion” for Emma Heming Willis.
Willis, 70, retired from acting in 2022 after being diagnosed with aphasia. His wife, 49, later revealed that the “Die Hard” star had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023.
Moore’s podcast episode was part of a larger interview that included Emma and the book she wrote about Bruce’s condition, titled “The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path.”
Emma’s written work includes advice and insight for caregivers while sharing her personal experience with her husband’s struggle. She has already revealed they suffered “marital issues” before his diagnosis and the “alarming” symptoms he showed prior.
Emma, however, copped backlash for disclosing that they moved Willis into a “second home” with a full-time care team, calling the decision “one of the hardest decisions” she’s ever made.
Moore, who was married to Willis from 1987 until their divorce was finalized in 2000, stood up for Emma in the interview.
“There is no road map for how to deal with this,” the actress told Winfrey.
“Obviously, being the ex-wife, even though our family is very connected, is an interesting position,” she continued. “So much fell on Emma to really figure this whole thing out, and the most beautiful thing, and she talks about this in the book, was recognizing the importance for caregivers that they have to take care of themselves. And if they don’t put that time into making sure that they’re okay, that they then can’t show up for anyone else.”
Moore shared she has “so much compassion for Emma in this, being a young woman. There’s no way that anybody could have anticipated where this was going to go.”
Emma wed Willis in 2009.
The actress believes his wife has “done a masterful job” navigating Willis’ health journey, explaining, “She has been so dedicated to forging the right path. She’s had equal amounts of fear and strength and courage in navigating this. I think that this book is gonna really be very helpful for a lot of people who are walking through this.”
Despite being officially divorced for nearly 25 years, Moore and Willis have remained tight, as they share three daughters: Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31.
Moore further explained to Winfrey that it’s “difficult” to watch her ex’s decline.
“It’s hard to see somebody who was so, you know, vibrant and strong and so directed shift into this other parts of themself,” she stated. “But, my particular perspective is — one, I really always say it’s so important just to meet them where they’re at. Don’t have an expectation of them needing to be who they were or who you want them to be. And when you do that, I find that there is an incredible sweetness and something that’s soft and tender and loving.”
The “Ghost” actress also shared the importance of being “present” when it comes to Willis.
“If you replay where it was and what you’ve lost, it only creates anxiety and and grief,” Moore advised. “And so when you stay present, there is so much, and there’s still so much of him there. And it may not always be verbal, but it is beautiful, given the givens.”
Emma called Moore’s praise “beautiful” when Winfrey showed her their conversation later in the interview. “But she’s right; there is beauty there. Right?” she noted. “As hard as it is to lose someone that we love, we are able to tap into what is.”
Emma, who also has daughters Mabel Ray, 13, and Evelyn Penn, 11, with Willis, recently fired back at the “loud” critics who took issue with her ABC special, in which she shared her story while promoting her book.
“The truth is that the opinions are so loud and they’re so noisy,” Willis’ wife said in a video shared to Instagram last week. “But if they don’t have the experience of this, they don’t get a say, and they definitely don’t get a vote.”
“Sharing openly may invite opinions, but more importantly, it creates connection and validation for those actually navigating the realities of caregiving every day,” Emma later shared in the clip.
“That’s who I share for and so I can build a deeper connection with a community that understands this journey,” she concluded.
The “Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path” hit shelves on Tuesday, September 9.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
