Bruce Willis speaks for first time since dementia diagnosis in beautiful family birthday video
20 March 2023, 11:31 | Updated: 21 March 2023, 13:30
Bruce Willis has appeared for the first time since his family confirmed that he has been diagnosed with dementia.
In a beautiful video posted on social media, Hollywood icon Bruce Willis can be seen singing and enjoying his birthday with his family.
Bruce's ex-wife and close friend Demi Moore wished him a happy 68th birthday on Sunday (March 19). The 60-year-old actress shared a video of their entire family spending time with the Die Hard star and singing happy birthday to him, before presenting him with a candlelit apple pie.
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The former couple share three daughters together — Rumer, 34; Scout, 31; and Tallulah, 29 — who were also joining in on the celebrations with their partners.
Demi Moore and family wish Bruce Willis a happy birthday
In the video, Bruce's wife, Emma Heming, 44 — who had also shared a special birthday post earlier in the day — was seen presenting him with the treat and a kiss on the cheek.
Bruce and Emma's two daughters — Mabel, 10, and Evelyn, eight — were also there.
"Happy birthday, BW! So glad we could celebrate you today," Demi wrote in in her post. "Love you and love our family. Thank you to everyone for the love and warm wishes - we all feel them."
Emma — who has been married to Bruce for 13 years — wrote an emotional message about her husband's dementia diagnosis.
In her video post, Emma described feeling sad as she described making a video for Bruce – and called watching his clips "a knife in my heart."
"So today is my husband's birthday," she said. "I have started the morning by crying. As you can see by my swollen eyes and snotty nose, I just think it's important you see all sides of this."
Emma continued: "I always get this message or people always tell me like, 'Oh you're so strong, I don't know how you do it.' I'm not given a choice. I wish I was. But I'm also raising two kids in this.
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"So sometimes in our lives we have to put our big girl panties on and get to it. And that's what I'm doing. But I do have times of sadness every day. Grief everyday. And I'm really feeling it today on his birthday."
She fought back tears while describing the montage that she had been working on for her husband: "So I worked on this reel that I'm posting for my husband's birthday. I don't know why I do that because the videos are like a knife in my heart.
"But as much as I do it for myself I do it for you. Because I know how much you love my husband and - don't cry Emma - but it means so much to me so thank you."
Later on, she shared reel, soundtracked by Stevie Wonder's song 'As'.
She added: "My birthday wish for Bruce is that you continue to keep him in your prayers and highest vibrations because his sensitive Pisces soul will feel it. Thank you so much for loving and caring for him too."