The “Die Hard” star’s wife, Emma Heming Willis, has warned paparazzi not to yell at the star when they see him in public.
In an emotional Instagram video she shared over the weekend, Heming Willis said “there’s still a lot of education to be done” regarding dementia.
According to the 44-year-old model, it can be challenging and stressful to get someone out into the world and navigate them safely, recounting a recent incident when photographers attempted to speak to the ailing actor during a rare public appearance to meet friends for coffee in Santa Monica.
To the photographers and video people seeking exclusives of my husband, please maintain a respectful distance. Although I understand this is your job, kindly refrain from yelling at him or making excessive noise. It’s important to give our family or whoever is with him that day enough space to escort him from point A to point B safely.
The caption to the video says: “To other caregivers or dementia care specialists navigating this world… Any tips or advice on how to get your loved ones out in the world safely? Please share.”
A week ago, Willis’ family announced that his aphasia, a form of speech disorder, had progressed to frontotemporal dementia, or FTD, a form of dementia. As of today, there are no treatments for this disease, a situation we hope will change in the future. The group shared an update last month about Bruce’s condition and hopes that media attention will shine a light on this disease, which requires much more research and awareness.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, FTD is a group of disorders caused by progressive nerve cell loss in the brain’s frontal lobes (the areas behind your forehead) or temporal lobes. These areas are generally associated with personality, behavior, and language.
