Bruce Willis’ Family Is ‘Clinging to Their Memories’ as Actor Approaches Possible ‘Last’ Holiday Season

It’s been an emotional month for the Willis family. On November 14 — days after describing father Bruce’s frontotemporal dementia as “aggressive” and “very rare” during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, daughter Tallulah shared old photos of herself with her dad on Instagram, calling him “my whole damn heart.” On November 20, daughter Rumer posted a picture of the Die Hard star holding her as a baby, confessing in the caption, “Really missing my papa today.” Then, on Thanksgiving Day, daughter Scout shared videos of the Emmy winner looking distant as he held her hand.

They’re clinging to their memories — and doing all they can to make new ones this holiday season. “Christmas will be very special for the family this year. And bittersweet, too,” a source exclusively tells Closer of the blended clan, which includes Bruce’s daughters Rumer, 35, Scout, 32, and Tallulah, 29, with ex-wife Demi Moore, 61, plus Mabel, 11, and Evelyn, 9, with second wife and caretaker Emma Heming, 45. Bruce, 68, retired from acting in 2022 after being diagnosed with aphasia, a brain disorder, that rapidly progressed, leading to his dementia diagnosis nearly 10 months ago. “It’s heartbreaking as his memory gets worse, but his love never falters. His eyes still light up around his loved ones, who cherish every single day with Bruce,” says the source. “But this Christmas just feels different, because — you never know — it could be his last.”

HOLIDAY PLANS

And they’re determined to make it count. “The idea is to follow their Christmas tradition, with the whole family flying out to Idaho,” shares the source. “The backup plan, in case they need to make it easier for Bruce, is to stay in L.A.” Either way, they’re all eager to “look at old photos, which Bruce loves to do, play games, and of course wear matching pajamas.”

Still, the holiday won’t be the same as in years past. According to an insider, Bruce no longer understands that Demi is the woman he was married to for 13 years and the mom to his eldest daughters. Old friend and Moonlighting creator Glenn Gordon Caron recently revealed Bruce is no longer “totally verbal” and spoke about him as if he were already gone. “There is no one who had any more joie de vivre than he. He loved life and… just adored waking up every morning and trying to live life to its fullest,” Glenn said, explaining it’s as if the action star “now sees life through a screen door.”

It’s much worse for his family. As Emma recently wrote in an essay, though they’ve been facing “grief, loss and immense sadness” amid the progression of his disease, “I have hope in how our entire family can find joy in the small things, and in coming together to celebrate all the moments life has to offer.”