From love at first bench press to finding strength in the face of a difficult diagnosis, here's how Bruce and Emma Willis are navigating life, love, and one big, blended family.
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00:00From love at first bench press to finding strength in the face of a difficult diagnosis,
00:05here's how Bruce and Emma Willis are navigating life, love, and one big blended family.
00:11Emma Hemming Willis' birthplace is Malta, but after her parents split,
00:14she and her mother packed their bags and headed to London to build a new life for themselves.
00:18This is where her modeling career began. Emma wrote on her website that after winning a London
00:23modeling competition in the early 90s, she began traveling the globe and walking runways for Dior,
00:28Valentino, Chanel, and other luxury labels. She eventually settled down in California with
00:33the first man she thought she would marry. When Bruce Willis first laid eyes on her in 2005,
00:37she was engaged to Brent Bolthouse, a successful Hollywood nightclub promoter who appeared on
00:42The Hills. Bruce was visiting a gym owned by a friend, celebrity fitness guru Gunnar Peterson,
00:47when he saw Emma leaving. In a 2009 appearance on The Late Show, he recalled,
00:51"'She was walking out and I said, Gunnar, let me just say one thing to you.
00:54Wow, who is that?' Bruce eventually got acquainted with Emma, but because she had a fiancé,
00:59he remained in the friend zone until Emma and Bolthouse split in 2007. Emma planned on moving
01:04to New York City after the breakup, but Bruce convinced her to go on a date with him mere
01:08days before she left L.A. He told W Magazine,
01:11"'Then we fell mad crazy in love.'"
01:13While Bruce Willis quickly forged a bond with Emma Hemming Willis,
01:16he had expected to stay single after his divorce from Demi Moore.
01:19"'Are you looking for a life partner, or are you hoping to stay…'
01:23"'Don't think I'll get married again.'"
01:25But Emma made him realize what he was missing out on during his stubbornly single era.
01:29He admitted to W Magazine,
01:31"'I would say I'm alone, but I'm not lonely. But I was just kidding myself.
01:34Then I started hanging around Emma, and on a day-to-day basis, my life became much happier.'"
01:39Bruce and Emma tied the knot for the first time in March 2009,
01:42inviting some of their loved ones to celebrate with them at the property Bruce owned on the
01:46islands of Turks and Caicos. According to Bruce's close friend, Robert Kraft,
01:50the love his three daughters have for him was evident at the wedding reception.
01:53Kraft told W,
01:54"'The speeches those girls gave about their dad were brilliantly emotional.'"
01:58Upon returning to Los Angeles, Bruce and Emma celebrated their union a second time
02:02with a civil marriage ceremony.
02:04When Emma met Bruce, his youngest daughter at the time, Tallulah Willis,
02:07was already 12 years old. So there was a bit of an age gap between Mabel Ray Willis and her
02:12stepsisters when she joined the family on April 1, 2012. Bruce was a parenting pro by then,
02:17and his goal was to raise Mabel to be caring, compassionate, and considerate.
02:20He told Candace a few months after Mabel's birth,
02:22"'You have to give them a code, beginning with things like,
02:25don't bite people. That then becomes something like, it's not okay to be mean. Ever.'"
02:29But Bruce was no strict disciplinarian. He also kept his kids entertained by
02:33assuming the role of a comedian at home. In a 2013 interview with That Shelf, he quipped,
02:37"'They're a pretty captive audience, you know? They can't run away from you,
02:40even if they don't like your jokes. I love to make my kids laugh,
02:44and I still do the dumbest things possible to make them laugh.'"
02:46On May 5, 2014, he gained another appreciative audience member, daughter Evelyn Penn Willis.
02:52After she stopped modeling, Emma Hemming Willis had a difficult time deciding on a new career to
02:57pursue. But when she experienced motherhood for the first time, she had a light bulb moment.
03:01She told the local Moms Network,
03:03"'I was using coconut oil and loved it. And when Mabel was two months old,
03:06I had this idea for Cocobaba."
03:08Emma decided to give her skincare routine an overhaul after getting pregnant. Being a mom-to-be
03:12made her more conscious of what she was putting on her body.
03:15"'And I just, at the time, didn't really see anything
03:18on the market that I felt safe and confident in using.'"
03:22She learned about the versatility of all-natural coconut oil from her mother and grandmother.
03:26She wrote for Cocobaba,
03:28"'I'm really prone to stretch marks, yet it got me through two pregnancies stretch mark-free.'"
03:32What Emma didn't like about the oil was the inconvenient container it came in.
03:35This inspired her to create her own line of products specifically designed for pregnant
03:39women to use on their changing skin. In addition to making packaging improvements,
03:43she consulted experts who created formulas that were less greasy than the oil alone.
03:47It was also of utmost importance to her that the products only contained safe ingredients.
03:52While Emma cares deeply about her business,
03:54it's not her biggest passion in life by a long shot. She told the local Moms Network,
03:58"'I want to focus on things that bring me joy — my family,
04:01making sure I'm healthy and feeling good. Then beneath that comes business.'"
04:05Emma Hemming Willis told W Magazine that being in a relationship with someone with kids was a
04:10new territory for her. But Bruce Willis' daughters welcomed her with open arms, as did Demi Moore.
04:15Emma said,
04:15"'I've been really blessed because from day one it's been comfortable and fun.'"
04:19It helped that Bruce and his ex-wife remained on good terms after their split.
04:22Moore has even joined Bruce and Emma on a few fun family vacations.
04:26Emma told the local Moms Network that she's heard her fair share of horror stories about
04:29resentful ex-wives who make living in harmony as a blended family an impossibility.
04:34But Moore made sure that she didn't have to worry about discord or division.
04:37Emma told Us Weekly,
04:39"'She welcomed me into her family like I welcomed her into ours. I have so much
04:42respect for how Bruce and Demi worked through their divorce to be able to put their children
04:46first.'"
04:47"'Demi and I both took the higher road, and our children are much better for it.'"
04:54Moore returned the love on International Women's Day in 2021.
04:57She paid tribute to Emma on Instagram, writing,
05:00Her drive, determination, and passion is uplifting,
05:03and the woman that she is is absolutely inspiring.
05:05Moore revealed that she considers Emma family,
05:07and the pair certainly look the part in a 2022 holiday photo with Bruce and their daughters.
05:13When Emma and Bruce celebrated a decade of marriage in 2019,
05:16they decided to mark the milestone with a vow renewal ceremony.
05:19Their daughters, Mabel and Evelyn, were given important roles to play at the event.
05:23Emma told Us Weekly,
05:24"'It was really for them, to be able to be flower girls, for them to be a part of
05:27something that feels kind of monumental.'"
05:29Bruce's daughters from his previous marriage were in attendance,
05:32as was Demi Moore herself, who Emma said she wouldn't have done the ceremony without.
05:36Emma revealed that Mabel and Evelyn were excited,
05:38not just because they'd been asked to participate in the ceremony,
05:41but because they got to spend time with their stepsisters.
05:43While speaking to the local Moms Network, she revealed that she'd developed her own
05:47special bond with her stepdaughters, saying,
05:49"'Now they're women, and I can have these incredible conversations with them.
05:52Those relationships have really evolved over time.'"
05:55After Emma and Bruce went public with their relationship in 2009,
05:59a source told Page Six that they first met when Bruce asked for
06:02models to be cast as minor characters in his 2007 thriller Perfect Stranger.
06:06Bruce, however, insists that the first time he met Emma was at a gym.
06:09While Emma did score a small part in Perfect Stranger,
06:12the couple told W Magazine that they'd already become friends by then.
06:15According to Bruce, one thing he liked about Emma was that she wasn't pursuing an acting career.
06:20She did, however, later appear alongside him in the 2013 action comedy Red 2.
06:24Her character, an administrative employee at an FBI facility,
06:28receives a compliment on her blazer, and is shot and killed moments later.
06:32You know what? I didn't get your name.
06:33Oh, it's Kelly.
06:34Hi, Kelly.
06:36During a press conference for Red 2,
06:38Bruce bragged about getting to kiss two separate women in the movie,
06:41but said that Emma was totally fine with his on-screen lip locks with co-stars Catherine
06:45Zeta-Jones and Mary Louise Parker. He did apparently feel the need to defend those
06:49steamy scenes before shooting them, though. You say,
06:51Look, it's right in the script.
06:53At the start of the pandemic, Demi Moore, Bruce Willis, and Emma Hemming Willis
06:57decided that the best place for their blended family to quarantine together
07:00was at Moore's Idaho estate. But when Moore shared an Instagram photo of her lockdown crew
07:05posing together and matching green-and-white striped PJs, a few key members were missing — Emma
07:09and her daughters. In an April 2020 appearance on the Dopey podcast, Scout Willis explained
07:14the trio's absence. She revealed that her stepsister, Evelyn, was at a park when she
07:18came across a hypodermic needle on the ground and made a mistake that had to be nightmarish
07:22for her parents. Scout recalled,
07:24She actually tried to poke her shoe with it and poked her foot.
07:27Emma had to take her daughter to the doctor to get tested for the whole host of horrible things
07:31that can lurk on the tip of a discarded syringe. While awaiting the test results, she decided to
07:36stay in Los Angeles with both of her daughters. By early May 2020, Emma and the girls had made
07:41it to Idaho. She shared an Instagram video of Evelyn learning to ride a bike without training
07:45wheels as her dad and older sisters cheered her on. Emma celebrated her birthday the following
07:50month. She posted a pic of Moore preparing to light the candles on her birthday cake during
07:54a family picnic, and captioned it,
07:55It really was a happy birthday for me.
07:58We have a great foundation. My husband makes me laugh. I think that's sort of the key
08:02to our relationship."
08:03When Bruce Willis was still basking in the warm glow of newlywed bliss in 2009,
08:07he told W Magazine that his intense feelings for Emma Hemming Willis made it difficult for him to
08:12go to work saving the world from asteroids, aliens, etc. He gushed,
08:16I don't want to be away from Emma at all. It's the most singular relationship I've
08:20ever had in my life."
08:21When the couple celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary in 2021,
08:24Emma joked about their relationship on Instagram, writing,
08:27Boy, I sure do love this guy to the moon and back,
08:30even though there's been times I would have loved to take him to the moon, drop him off,
08:33and come back solo. Luckily, Bruce can handle a good-natured ribbing.
08:37Demi Moore joked about her failed marriage to the action star during his Comedy Central
08:40roast in 2018, and Emma told Closer Weekly that one of the things she loves most about
08:45Bruce is his sense of humor.
08:46I was married to Bruce Willis for the first three Die Hard movies,
08:52which makes sense because the last two sucked."
08:54Bruce's playful side is also a hit with their kids. Emma told the local Moms Network,
08:59I like that he likes to have fun. He's the one out there making snowmen,
09:02sledding, and swimming. He's fun and active, and I am too. I take them places,
09:07but he's the rough-and-tumble dad.
09:09In a March 2022 Instagram post, Emma Hemming Willis shared the sad news that Bruce Willis
09:14had been diagnosed with aphasia. Symptoms of the condition include impaired speech and
09:18difficulty following conversations. Those with the disorder may also struggle to read and write.
09:23Emma wrote,
09:23As a result of this and with much consideration,
09:26Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.
09:29This is a really challenging time for our family,
09:31and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion, and support.
09:35We are moving through this as a strong family unit. Watching a loved one experience cognitive
09:40decline is never easy. And in August 2022, Emma revealed that she was doing her best to
09:45keep herself distracted and busy with hobbies, such as painting, gardening, and exercising.
09:50Although she appeared happy and focused in a video that showed her performing these activities,
09:54she revealed that she was hurting inside.
09:56My grief can be paralyzing, but I am learning how to live alongside it.
09:59As my stepdaughter Scout Willis told me,
10:01grief is the deepest and purest form of love. I hope you find some comfort in that, too.
10:05In February 2023, Emma shared on Instagram that Bruce had been given the more specific diagnosis
10:11of frontotemporal dementia, or FTD. FTD's symptoms include personality changes,
10:16apathy, and difficult with decision-making and communication.
10:19The family released a full statement on the website for the Association for
10:22Frontotemporal Degeneration's website, which read in part,
10:25Bruce has always found joy in life and has helped everyone he knows to do the same.
10:29It has meant the world to see that sense of care echoed back to him and to all of us.
10:33We know in our hearts that, if he could today, he would want to respond by bringing global
10:37attention and a connectedness with those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease.
10:43After sharing Bruce Willis' aphasia diagnosis on Instagram, Emma Hemming Willis started
10:47taking her followers on a trip down memory lane with throwback photos and videos of
10:51some of her husband's happiest moments. One of them was Bruce's joint performance
10:55of Under the Boardwalk with The Temptations. Her video served as a reminder that Bruce
10:59pursued a music career in 1987 and released an album titled The Return of Bruno. When she
11:04shared the video to her Instagram story, Emma added the words,
11:07"'He's my North Star.'"
11:08She also posted it to her feed and revealed that one thing she's always loved about her
11:12husband is his fearlessness. This guy has always been led by his passion and has never let naysayers
11:17stop him from, well, anything. And I have so much respect, love, and admiration for that man
11:22because of it. In August 2022, Emma revealed that Bruce's love of music hadn't been dimmed by his
11:27diagnosis. She shared a video of the actor showing off his harmonica skills during a jam session with
11:32rumored Willis' boyfriend, musician Derek Richard Thomas.
11:36While Emma Hemming Willis has been careful to respect Bruce Willis' privacy after sharing his
11:40diagnosis, she's decided not to leave his fans completely in the dark about his health. In a
11:45February 2023 Instagram post, she assured her followers that she was seeking out the best help
11:50available, including the expertise of dementia care specialist Teepa Snow. Emma wrote,
11:55She's a loving, compassionate, and skilled leader in this space,
11:58who navigates herself with pure empathy. In response to the post,
12:01Snow praised Emma for making sure that Bruce's living space was meeting his needs.
12:05Bruce and Emma were living in Brentwood Park, California as of March 2023. According to Page Six,
12:11they started selling some of their other properties in anticipation of Bruce retiring
12:15and bringing in less income. These included their vacation home in Turks and Caicos,
12:19their Westchester, New York residence, and their ranch in Sun Valley, Idaho.
12:22A source said of the $65 million in property sales,
12:25He knew that he wouldn't eventually need multiple estates and apartments to travel between,
12:30and that he would instead need to live in a safe environment, surrounded by his family.
12:34Emma Hemming Willis has learned the art of the verbal smackdown, as demonstrated by the way she
12:39clapped back at those who criticized her for sharing her thoughts about grief. On her Instagram
12:43story, Emma shared a screenshot of a cruel comment that suggested she needed to stop
12:47talking about her struggles on social media. It read,
12:50When you marry an old man decades older than you are, you become their caregivers.
12:54That's what you signed up for. Deal with it, and stop complaining.
12:57Emma fired back, in the words of the great, philosophical, insightful Bruce Willis,
13:01Ah, f— em. She was also accused of using her husband's FTD diagnosis to clout chase,
13:06but she shared her thoughts about this in a March 2023 Instagram video, saying,
13:10I'm always going to advocate for my husband.
13:12And while I'm at it, I'm going to raise awareness around FTD
13:17and for caregivers who are our unsung heroes out there.
13:21Emma also took aim at the paparazzi in an Instagram reel. When Bruce stepped out to
13:25grab a cup of coffee with some friends, overly eager foot-togs started to shout at him.
13:29Emma shamed them for showing a lack of compassion and respect.
13:32Give him a space.
13:34In March 2023, Radar claimed that Demi Moore had moved in with Bruce and Emma to serve as a source
13:39of support for her ex-husband and his wife. According to a source, Demi has been a rock
13:43for the family and is determined to make sure every day Bruce has left on Earth will be filled
13:47with love. But while Bruce and his wife might be friendly with his ex, Emma refuted the story that
13:52they were all cohabitating, writing in an Instagram story,
13:55Let's nip this one in the bud. This is so dumb. Please stop.
13:58Amid the stress of dealing with internet trolls, invasive photographers, and false gossip,
14:02Bruce and Moore's blended family had cause to celebrate in December 2022,
14:06when rumored Willis announced that she and her boyfriend, Derek Richard Thomas,
14:10were expecting their first child. Their joyful news meant that Bruce and Moore would soon get
14:14to celebrate being first-time grandparents. An insider told People,
14:18He is happy about becoming a grandpa. He loves having a big family. No matter what the future
14:22brings, the Willis-Moore clan will always have Bruce's wise words to guide them. He said in a
14:272007 On Air With Ryan Seacrest interview,
14:29Here's the trick. Try not to take your time on Earth for granted. Death waits for us all.
14:34The only answer is to get out there and live each day.