Wife Reveals Die Hard Gunfire Contributed to Bruce Willis' Dementia Diagnosis

In 2022, it was announced that legendary actor Bruce Willis, now 70 years old, had been diagnosed with aphasia, a condition affecting his cognitive abilities and communication. His family later revealed that his condition had "progressed" and he had received a more specific diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

Bruce's wife, Emma Heming Willis, has now suggested that the filming of the 1988 action classic Die Hard may have contributed to the early symptoms of his dementia. She explains that during the production, Bruce shot a gun multiple times without any ear protection, causing significant hearing loss in one of his ears. Over time, this hearing issue led to communication problems between the couple, which Emma initially attributed to simple aging.

Emma also notes that Bruce had a severe stutter as a child that he had learned to manage, but this symptom began resurfacing as an early sign of his dementia. Additionally, she says she noticed a "lack of empathy" in her husband, which she later realized was another common indicator of young-onset dementia.

Bruce's family has also spoken about his hearing struggles over the years. His eldest daughter, Rumer Willis, suggested in 2013 that his partial hearing loss from the Die Hard incident caused him to appear awkward in interviews. The youngest daughter, Tallulah, said the family initially chalked up his "unresponsiveness" to Hollywood-related hearing issues before the dementia diagnosis.

As Emma Heming Willis prepares to release a book about her caregiving journey, she continues to raise awareness about the challenges of frontotemporal dementia and the potential long-term impacts of Hollywood stunts and action sequences.