Bruce Willis’ daughter Tallulah Willis has finally spoken out after a report about the actor’s dementia battle included some deeply personal claims about his current condition.
The 32-year-old shared a message on Instagram, making it clear that she was unhappy about private details being shared publicly.
One person supporting Tallulah’s response wrote, “As she should, it’s disgusting! I agree with her.”
An anonymous source claiming to be a family friend shared extremely personal details about Bruce Willis’ dementia battle
The controversy began after the Daily Mail published a report on Sunday, November 8, featuring claims from an unnamed insider about Bruce Willis’ health.
The source alleged that the 71-year-old actor “has declined a lot mentally” and is “living in his own world.”
They also claimed that the changes had been particularly noticeable to people who remembered Willis as an energetic, talkative man who enjoyed being the center of attention.
According to the insider, the actor doesn’t speak as much as he once did and doesn’t always seem to “fully understand” how much his life has changed.
Now, he’s become “Mr. Mellow” and is more “at ease.”
“Sometimes he looks like a baby who is staring at an object with curiosity, just taking it in,” the insider added. “But if you look at him, he appears like a healthy middle-aged man.”
“His big thrill is getting an ice cream cone or going for a ride in a car. He loves listening to Neil Diamond,” they added.
The report included several other personal descriptions of Willis’ day-to-day life, but the remarks about him behaving like a baby particularly upset his daughter.
Tallulah Willis, the youngest of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore’s three daughters, responded to the report through an Instagram Story on Monday, November 9.
Tallulah Willis publicly called out the unnamed insider and told them to “stay away from my family!”
She shared a childhood photo of herself with her father and addressed the person who allegedly spoke to the Daily Mail, questioning why someone who claimed to be close to the family would disclose such personal details.
In her post, she also pointed out what she saw as a double standard.
Her message read, “I saw an article describing updates with my dad. It struck me because the people who love him throughout the world have expressed to me, when I’ve shared photos, that there should be real, discernible mindfulness on what is posted.”
Tallulah added, “So the ‘friend,’ ‘family member,’ or source who shared that he ‘acts like a baby now?’ How is that acceptable? Who are you? Stay away from my family!”
She did not identify the person behind the report or confirm whether the source was actually a friend or relative.
Bruce, best known for starring in films such as Die Hard and The Sixth Sense, has been living with a frontotemporal dementia (FTD) diagnosis since his family publicly confirmed it in February 2023.
The 71-year-old star was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023 after retiring from acting
His health struggles first became public in March 2022, when his family announced that he would be stepping away from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, a condition that affects a person’s ability to communicate.
Nearly a year later, the family shared that his condition had progressed and that he had received a more specific diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia.
FTD is a progressive group of brain disorders that affects the frontal and temporal lobes, areas associated with language, behavior, personality, and movement.
Its symptoms can vary from person to person and may change as the condition progresses.
There are currently no treatments available to cure or slow the progression of the disease.
As of this writing, Willis has been living with the publicly disclosed diagnosis for more than three years, while his family has continued to navigate the challenges of his condition.
It has also been reported that Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis, spends a “mega fortune” on his care, with costs exceeding $30,000 a month.
The family has continued to protect Bruce’s privacy as he is reportedly now a shadow of the energetic action hero he once was
Tallulah’s response comes amid the family’s efforts to share occasional glimpses of Bruce’s life while maintaining boundaries around his health and personal circumstances.
She has previously spoken about her relationship with her father and the importance of being present with him during his dementia journey.
In a 2023 essay for Vogue, she reflected on how she learned to spend time with him without letting the sadness of his diagnosis overshadow their moments together.
“I can savor that time, hold my dad’s hand and feel that it’s wonderful,” she wrote.
The actor’s family, including Emma, his ex-wife Demi, and his five daughters, has also used his diagnosis to raise awareness about frontotemporal dementia.
In their February 2023 statement announcing the diagnosis, they asked for “compassion and respect” as they supported the actor through the illness.
His wife previously said she realized how little people know about FTD when they ask her questions about Willis.
“When people say, ‘Oh, you know, does he remember who you are?’ Well, he does because he doesn’t have Alzheimer’s; he has FTD,” she said on The Bossticks podcast in June this year.
“I think that’s a very common misconception that, when you think of dementia, we think of memory loss,” the model added.
“Imagine being so desperate for money and attention, you need to leak the health issues of a man battling dementia,” one netizen fumed
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