Emma Heming Willis is opening up about what the holidays look like now that her husband, beloved actor Bruce Willis, is battling advanced dementia — and won’t be home this Christmas.
In a deeply emotional post, the 47-year-old model and mother of two described how their once-joyful family traditions have changed since the Die Hard star, 70, moved into a separate care home where he receives round-the-clock support.
“For me, the holidays carry memories of Bruce being at the center of it all,” Emma shared. “He was the pancake-maker, the one out in the snow with the kids. The steady presence moving through the house as the day unfolded. Dementia doesn’t erase those memories — but it does create space between then and now. And that space can ache.”
The family’s Christmas morning rituals now require “lots of planning,” Emma admitted, describing how joy and grief now exist side by side. “Moments that once brought uncomplicated joy may arrive tangled in a web of grief. I know this because I’m living it.”
Still, she insists there’s room for warmth and meaning. “There will still be gifts. There will still be laughter and cuddles. And yes, there will be tears — because grief and joy can coexist.”
Emma, who shares daughters Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11, with Bruce, offered comfort to other families navigating similar heartbreak: “There’s no single ‘right’ way to move through this time of year when dementia is part of your life. There is only your way — and that is enough.”
The Unexpected Journey author also posted a bittersweet throwback video of herself and Bruce riding a rollercoaster back in 2008, before his illness took hold. “His laugh. His commentary. He always made everything fun,” she wrote. “That was him — pure fun. I love him. And I miss him.”
Source: RadarOnline
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