“I have other friends whose parents have passed and, even though our time together is different now, I’m so grateful still that I have this time,” Rumer shared.

Rumer Willis reveals unexpected silver lining of dad Bruce Willis’ dementia battle

"I have other friends whose parents have passed and, even though our time together is different now, I'm so grateful still that I have this time," Rumer shared.

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Entertainment Tonight and Popsugar.

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May 21, 2026 2:36 p.m. ET

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Bruce Willis and Rumer Willis attend 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' premiere in 2013. Credit:

Eric Charbonneau/Shutterstock

- Rumer Willis opens up about the unexpected elements of her dad Bruce Willis' battle with frontotemporal dementia that have her feeling grateful.

- "I'm so grateful that I have a child that got to meet him," Rumer said of her 3-year-old daughter, Louetta "Lou," whom she shared with ex-boyfriend Derek Richard Thomas. "Because I don't know if my sisters will have that."

- Rumer is the eldest daughter of Willis and Demi Moore, who were married in 1987, separated in 1998, and finalized their divorce in 2000. In that time, they had Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31.

Rumer Willis is opening up about the unexpected elements of her dad Bruce Willis' battle with frontotemporal dementia that have her feeling grateful.

During an appearance on *The Inside Edit* podcast Monday with her best friend, stylist Maeve Reilly, Rumer explained that although she knows that "it will never be the same as it was," after her father's aphasia diagnosis in 2022 — which progressed to a frontotemporal dementia diagnosis in 2023 —she remains thankful that she is able to "go over and see" her father amid his condition.

"I'm so grateful that I have a child that got to meet him," Rumer said of her 3-year-old daughter, Louetta "Lou," whom she shared with ex-boyfriend Derek Richard Thomas. "Because I don't know if my sisters will have that."

Rumer is the eldest daughter of Willis and Demi Moore, who were married in 1987, separated in 1998, and finalized their divorce in 2000. In that time, they had Rumer, 37, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 31.

Willis also shares daughters Mabel Ray Willis, 13, and Evelyn Penn Willis, 11, with wife Emma Heming Willis.

Bruce Willis and Rumer Willis.

Rumer Willis/Instagram

"I'm just so grateful for all the things that I do get," the 37-year-old continued. "I'm so grateful that I get to go see him. I have other friends whose parents have passed and, even though our time together is different now, I'm so grateful still that I have this time."

Rumer added that after growing up with her father being "this kind of macho dude," there's a "sweetness" and "tenderness" to him nowadays that "maybe being, you know, Bruce Willis might not have allowed him in a certain way."

And, of course, Rumer shared that having her blended family has been a boon during the emotional journey of her father's battle. "I'm so grateful for how our family has kind of rallied together in this way. And you know, we don't do it perfectly, but we're always striving to continue to create connection and find ways to be with each other and support each other through something that is kind of unprecedented," she told Reilly.

The *Die Hard* actor's family has been transparent about the challenges that come with Bruce's diagnosis — which has no treatment or cure. In January, Emma revealed during an interview on the *Conversations With Cam* podcast that Willis doesn't know he has dementia, while also revealing that he has another condition called anosognosia.

"There's this term — this neurological condition that comes with FTD and other types of dementia — called anosognosia, where your brain can't identify what's happening to it," Emma said. "People think this might be denial, they don't want to go to the doctor because they're like, 'I'm fine' — this is where the anosognosia comes into play. It's not denial, it's just that their brain is changing. This is a part of the disease."

She continued, "He never connected the dots that he had this disease, and I'm really happy about that. I'm happy he doesn't know about it."

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In March, Emma — who serves as Willis' primary caretaker with the assistance of a round-the-clock health team — announced that she has launched a charity called the Emma & Bruce Willis Fund to "help deepen understanding of FTD and ensure families facing it feel seen, supported, and less alone."

According to the charity's website, its three goals are to raise awareness, fund promising research and accelerate discovery, and support caregivers.

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"This journey has opened my eyes to the realities so many families face when a loved one is living with frontotemporal dementia," Emma said during the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration's Hope Rising Benefit in New York on March 12, per PEOPLE. "I believe deeply in the importance of supporting research while also showing up for the caregivers who carry so much every day."

She continued, "Through this fund, my hope is to help deepen understanding of FTD and ensure families facing it feel seen, supported, and less alone. Bruce has always led with generosity and heart, and I know he would be proud to see this effort helping families facing this disease."

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