Bruce Willis Is ‘Surrounded by Love’ Amid Dementia Battle: He Has a ‘Loving Support System’

Nearly a year after Bruce Willis’ family announced he was suffering from aphasia — a disorder that affects how a person communicates — they found themselves faced with more heartbreaking news. 

“Bruce’s condition has progressed, and we now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia (known as FTD),” they shared in a statement on February 16. FTD — which primarily affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain — can cause changes in personality, behavior and language. 

“Bruce has really slowed down,” a source exclusively tells Closer. “The disease has really progressed and affects his communication, so his family has to anticipate what he might want to do next. He’s not the same guy he was six months ago.” 

Thankfully, the Die Hard star, 67, has a loving family committed to helping him “live as full a life as possible.” Bruce and his wife, Emma Heming, and their two young daughters, Mabel and Evelyn, live within an hour’s drive of his ex-wife, actress Demi Moore, and their children together, Rumer, Scout and Tallulah. 

“They’ve created a very loving support system,” says the source of the blended bunch. “Bruce is absolutely surrounded by love.”

While the family is happy to have a better understanding of Bruce’s condition and the road ahead, they’ve all processed the news in different ways. 

“Demi, Bruce’s wife [Emma], and all of the kids are heartbroken,” another insider told Closer in February. “Demi has her moments when she breaks down.”

There is one piece of good news that the family has been celebrating recently — Rumer is expecting her first child with her boyfriend, Derek Richard Thomas.

“It’s affecting everyone differently,” the source added of Bruce’s condition. “A bright spot right now is Rumer’s pregnancy. The birth of his first granddaughter will hopefully put a smile on Bruce’s face.”