Tallulah Willis, the 29-year-old daughter of actor Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, has opened up about her father’s health struggles in an emotional essay for Vogue.
In February, it was revealed that the 68-year-old actor had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, a progressive neurological disorder that affects cognition and behavior. This came after Willis announced his retirement from acting in March 2022 due to an aphasia diagnosis, which affects the ability to express and understand language.
Tallulah Willis shared that she had suspected her father’s illness for a long time, noting that it initially manifested as a vague unresponsiveness that was attributed to Hollywood hearing loss. As the symptoms progressed, she sometimes took it personally, thinking her father had lost interest in her. She reflected on her own struggles with body dysmorphia and a borderline personality disorder diagnosis, adding that her adolescent brain tortured itself with thoughts of not being beautiful or interesting enough for her parents.
Bruce Willis shares three daughters, Tallulah, Scout (31), and Rumer (34), with his ex-wife Demi Moore. He also has two young daughters, Mabel (11) and Evelyn (9), with his current wife, Emma Heming Willis.
Tallulah’s essay sheds light on the impact of her father’s health struggles on their family and highlights her own journey of self-discovery and acceptance.