Tallulah, the daughter of Bruce Willis, has courageously provided fresh perspectives into her father’s continuous struggle with the deteriorating brain disorder aphasia through an intimate essay for Vogue.
She discloses that she began observing differences in her father well prior to his official diagnosis in the early part of 2022, attributing it at first to his “Hollywood hearing loss.”
Her father’s lack of response led her to experience feelings of disregard, an emotion she openly acknowledges stemmed from her teenage insecurities.
Willis’ diagnosis was made public by the family through a combined announcement, stating that the actor, now 68, had been dealing with health challenges affecting his cognitive function.
They further stated that, after thorough deliberation, Willis was stepping back from his cherished acting profession. The revelation was greeted with overwhelming encouragement, affection, and empathy from both admirers and colleagues.
However, Tallulah concedes that Willis had been silently struggling for some time. During this period, she was also battling her own issues with anorexia, leading her to deny the reality of her father’s health condition.
“While I was immersed in my body dysmorphia, showcasing it on Instagram, my dad was privately battling,” she confessed.
In the summer of 2021, Tallulah was confronted with the seriousness of her father’s state.
At a wedding, she tearfully realized that she may never have her father deliver a speech at her own wedding, a notion that left her shattered.
Despite the sorrow, Tallulah is now committed to making the most of her moments with her father.
She captures countless photographs during her visits and saves all his voice messages. This is her method of maintaining a chronicle for the unavoidable day when he is absent.
Compounding the difficulties, Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) within a year. This rare type of dementia leads to a decline in behavior, personality, and language and occurs in approximately one in 20 dementia cases.
The mobility of the Die Hard actor hasn’t been impacted by his dementia yet, and Tallulah disclosed that he continues to recognize her, his face brightening when she enters the room.
However, she realizes that his condition will deteriorate, accepting this as “the beginning of grief.” Regardless, she maintains her optimism and is resolved to “savor the time” with her father.
While coping with her father’s sickness, Tallulah has confronted her own physical and mental health hurdles. She candidly discussed her struggles with body perception, sobriety, and anorexia, which started when she was a young child.
After attending an event at the age of 11, the severe public critique she received instilled in her a firm belief in her own unattractiveness.
Her health issues came to a peak in early 2022 when her weight declined to a worrisome 84 pounds.
Around this period, her father’s state was disclosed to the public. She pondered if her father could have stepped in during her health crisis, had he been “his full self.”
At the age of 25, Tallulah received treatment for depression and ADHD at a residential center in Malibu.
In 2022, following a tough break-up, she was sent to another center in Texas, where she was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder.
In spite of these trials, she communicates a hopeful outlook for the future, recognizing that her path to recovery is still ongoing.
Her father spends the majority of his time in his home office, a space filled with collectibles he has accumulated and where “always music playing.”
Tallulah continues to visit him, documenting moments and valuing the time spent with her father. As she navigates her own path to recovery, she remains by her father
