Bittersweet milestone: Emma Heming Willis on life with Bruce

Bruce Willis, one of the most well-known Hollywood actors, has permanently stepped away from the screens. The illness forced him to focus on his health and family. For the past few years, his name has appeared in the media mainly in relation to battling aphasia and frontotemporal dementia, an untreatable form of the condition.

Emma Heming Willis, the actor's wife, often shares her thoughts and experiences online related to caring for Bruce and raising their daughters, Mabel and Evelyn. Emma emphasises that honesty is key, which is why she openly talks to the children about their father's illness.

On their 17th wedding anniversary, she posted an emotional message on Instagram. "Anniversaries used to bring excitement — now, if I’m honest, they stir up all the feelings, leaving a heaviness in my heart and a pit in my stomach," the 46-year-old wrote.

Emma Heming Willis does not hide that watching a loved one stop recognising you is an incredibly painful experience. Celebrating a wedding anniversary in the shadow of her husband's incurable illness is very difficult.

"I give myself 30 minutes to sit in the ‘why him, why us,’ to feel the anger and grief. Then I shake it off and return to what is. And what is… is unconditional love. I feel blessed to know it, and it’s because of him. I’d do it all over again and again in a heartbeat," emphasised Bruce Willis's wife.

Bruce Willis married the 24-year-younger model Emma Heming in 2009. They have two daughters — Mabel Ray and Evelyn Penn. However, this was not the actor's first marriage. Previously, Bruce was married to Demi Moore for 13 years. With the actress, he had three daughters: Rumer Glenn, Scout LaRue, and Tallulah Belle. Despite the divorce, Willis and Moore still maintain friendly relations. In the current situation, Demi strongly supports her ex-husband’s entire family.