Bruce Willis, 69, makes rare public appearance on drive with his bodyguard amdi aphasia and dementia battle
BRUCE Willis flashed a smile as he enjoyed a drive around Los Angeles in a rare appearance after his health battles came to light.
The Die Hard actor, 69, rolled down the car window and perched his forearm on the ledge as his bodyguard steered the vehicle around the area’s Studio City district.
Bruce, who announced his retirement from acting following a diagnosis of aphasia in 2022, appeared in good spirits.
He donned a black baseball cap and matching jacket, paired with a crisp white T-Shirt.
Bruce, whose health battles were compounded by a diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia in 2023, placed one hand on top of the other as the black vehicle motored around.
He looked cheery as he smiled at passer-by while his bodyguard kept his eyes firmly fixed on the road.
Last month, the Armegeddon actor was again spotted with his bodyguards as he took a car ride in Los Angeles.
It came as it was reported the star can “barely talk” amid his tragic dementia battle.
HEALTH WOES
Bruce’s family went public with his frontotemporal dementia (FTD) diagnosis last year.
Since then, the Pulp Fiction star has retired from the spotlight and is being cared for by his nearest and dearest at home.
Bruce’s wife Emma, 45, recently became emotional while talking about the retired actor’s condition and being his caregiver during an appearance on the Today show.
She told host Hoda Kotb: “What I’m learning is that dementia is hard. It’s hard on the person diagnosed, it’s also hard on the family.
“And that is no different for Bruce, or myself, or our girls. When they say this is a family disease, it really is.”
The couple married in 2009 and have two daughters together – Mabel, 11, and Evelyn, nine.
She said: “The most important thing was to be able for us to say what the disease was, explain what it is.
Is it ageing or dementia?
Dementia – the most common form of which is Alzheimer’s – comes on slowly over time.
As the disease progresses, symptoms can become more severe.
But at the beginning, the symptoms can be subtle or mistaken for normal memory issues related to ageing.
The US National Institute on Aging gives some examples of what is considered normal forgetfulness in old age, and dementia disease.
You can refer to these above.
For example, it is normal for an ageing person to forget which word to use from time-to-time, but difficulting having conversation would be more indicative of dementia.
Katie Puckering, Head of Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Information Services team, previously told The Sun: “We quite commonly as humans put our car keys somewhere out of the ordinary and it takes longer for us to find them.
“As you get older, it takes longer for you to recall, or you really have to think; What was I doing? Where was I? What distracted me? Was it that I had to let the dog out? And then you find the keys by the back door.
“That process of retrieving the information is just a bit slower in people as they age.
“In dementia, someone may not be able to recall that information and what they did when they came into the house.
“What may also happen is they might put it somewhere it really doesn’t belong. For example, rather than putting the milk back in the fridge, they put the kettle in the fridge.”
“When you know what the disease is from a medical standpoint it sort of all makes sense.
‘So it was important that we let them know what it is because I don’t want there to be any stigma or shame attached to their dad’s diagnosis or for any form of dementia.”
FAMILY AFFAIR
Bruce also has three daughters, Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah, with his first wife, actress Demi Moore.
Bruce’s daughter Rumer, 34, whom he shares with Demi Moore, shared the heartbreaking news about her father’s diagnosis on Instagram.
In her post, she explained that Bruce’s condition was sadly “not treatable” and “has progressed”.
She said: “Since we announced Bruce’s diagnosis of aphasia in spring 2022, Bruce’s condition has progressed and we now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia.
“Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces. While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis.”
Meanwhile, his daughter Tallulah revealed the key dementia signs the family missed.