LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: During a family gathering for Thanksgiving, Bruce Willis tightly held onto his daughter Scout Willis' hand, creating a poignant moment for fans.
This comes after the 68-year-old actor, who retired from Hollywood, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), an uncommon form of dementia that impacts behavior, personality, and language.
Scout Willis calls Bruce Willis 'my guy'
Scout Willis shared a touching video on her Instagram Story featuring herself and her father holding hands, captioning it "My guy."
In the video, Scout extended her hand toward Bruce, who briefly looked down before placing his hand on hers, resulting in a radiant smile on his daughter's face.
The intimate and affectionate moment was warmly received by those following the family on social media.
Continuing the tender moments, Scout shared a photo from the same day, capturing a sweet scene of her gently resting her head on Bruce's hand. In the snapshot, she wore a white, short-sleeved floral top with puff sleeves, while Bruce opted for a long-sleeved sports shirt and a grey hat.
Bruce, a father of five, shares daughters Mabel, 11, and Evelyn, 9, with his second wife, Emma Heming Willis, and Rumer, 35, Scout, 32, and Tallulah, 29, with his first wife, Demi Moore. In the face of Bruce's dementia diagnosis, all of his children, as well as Emma and Demi, have united in support.
This solidarity was beautifully illustrated in Emma's flashback photo, featuring all of Bruce's children, Scout's boyfriend, Jake Miller, and Rumer's beau, Derek Richard Thomas, along with Moore.
At the time the photo was taken, Rumer was apparently still pregnant with her and Thomas' daughter Louetta, who she later gave birth to in April.
Expressing gratitude and love, Emma captioned the family photo with heart emojis, writing, "I’m grateful and thankful to know this kind of love. Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving."
Just three days earlier, Rumer had shared a poignant throwback photo of herself as a little girl in Bruce's arms, expressing how much she missed her father.
Bruce Willis' fans react to Thanksgiving video with daughter Scout Willis
Soon after Scout Willis' video with Bruce Willis surfaced, the 'Die Hard' actor's fans flocked to show their support for his health battle.
One wrote, "It's just heartbreaking! This is what Bruce Willis looks like now - he was diagnosed with frontal-temporal dementia a year and a half ago. His daughter shared footage from the Thanksgiving celebration. The actor can no longer read or speak, and he also stopped recognizing his ex-wife Demi Moore."
They added, "Demi admitted that she was “heartbroken” after meeting Bruce Willis. Footage of the actress meeting with her ex-husband was posted by their daughter. Willis looks serene in the video, but Moore admitted that Bruce's advanced dementia had progressed so far that he could not recognize her, even though they had been married for 13 years."
Another said, "Nah! That's some painful stuff Real gon be missed on screen!"
"He is always in my prayers!' noted a person, while someone else expressed, "Thank you, Bruce. For all the entertainment you gave us. You've been one of my favorite action stars since I was little. Life sucks but make sure to make the best of it, yall. We never know what our future holds."
'Moonlighting' creator Glenn Gordon Caron opens up about Bruce Willis' struggle with dementia
In a heart-wrenching interview with Page Six, Glenn Gordon Caron, the creator of 'Moonlighting' and 'Medium' shared, "My sense is the first one to three minutes he knows who I am. He’s not totally verbal; he used to be a voracious reader - he didn’t want anyone to know that - and he’s not reading now."
He elaborated, "All those language skills are no longer available to him, and yet he’s still Bruce."
Despite the challenges, when spending time with Bruce, there's a recognition that he is still present, but the vibrant enthusiasm for life has faded.
In 2022, Bruce stepped back from showbiz due to the brain condition aphasia, which led to a decline in language abilities. Then, in March, his family announced that his condition had "progressed," revealing a diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
Throughout Bruce's battle with aphasia, Caron has endeavored to make monthly visits, though not always successfully. The impact of the illness on the actor's vibrant and multifaceted personality is evident, reflecting the relentless progression of his diagnosis.
