Emma Heming Willis was met with applause after delivering her succinct response to her critics.
Emma is married to Bruce Willis, the star of Die Hard. The couple married in 2009, following Bruce’s divorce from Demi Moore nine years prior. Together, Emma and Bruce have two daughters. Bruce also has three daughters with Moore.
The tight-knit family faced a significant challenge when Bruce was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in 2023.
Emma, 47, has taken on the role of his primary caregiver, making the tough choice to relocate Bruce to a separate residence from their family home.
This decision drew criticism, but Emma has remained steadfast, explaining that Bruce’s new home—situated near where she lives with their daughters—is “filled with love, and warmth, and care, and laughter.”
In August, Emma addressed the backlash, stating: “What I knew is that by sharing some of our intimate information that we would see these two camps. It would be people with an opinion versus people with an actual experience.
“Nothing changes an opinion quite as powerfully as when you have an experience.”
The 47-year-old further noted, “Even if someone is closely familiar with dementia or the condition you are caring for, they aren’t in your home, so they don’t know how your person is behaving or your family dynamics.”
Emma has since elaborated on the criticism she’s faced in a discussion with Yvette Nicole Brown, actress from Drake & Josh and Community.
Brown, who also cares for her father with dementia, asked Emma about handling negative opinions during their talk at this year’s End Well conference in Los Angeles.
Emma humorously responded, “F**k ’em, as Bruce would say,” to laughter from the audience.
During their conversation, Brown expressed her feelings about the backlash Emma faced after deciding to live separately from Bruce.
Brown stated, “I tell you, when I heard about the house thing, I wanted to throw elbows for you, honey. Because the thing is, what people don’t understand who aren’t caregivers, is that every caregivee is different, especially if you’re dealing with dementia or Alzheimer’s, it’s very unwieldy.
“And we all are doing our best and making the best decisions for your family. So when they came for you, I wanted to come for them.”
If you’ve been affected by dementia or Alzheimer’s and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact the Alzheimer’s Association via 800.272.3900 open 24 hours seven days a week.