Demi Moore shares sweet video of Bruce Willis being surrounded by family on his birthday
The clip carries extra hope following a bleak dementia diagnosis.
Bruce Willis recently celebrated his 68th birthday.
Back in March 2022, legendary action actor Bruce Willis was diagnosed with aphasia and took an official step away from the spotlight. Then, in February 2023, the beloved "Die Hard" star progressed into frontotemporal dementia, an incurable brain disorder often mistaken for Alzheimer’s that mainly affects personality, behavior and language, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Despite the tragic news, Willis is supported by loved ones, as seen in a video posted by ex-wife Demi Moore. The clip, posted to Twitter on March 19, captures Willis' family surrounding him in celebration of his 68th birthday.
“Happy birthday, BW! So glad we could celebrate you today,” Moore wrote in the video’s caption. “Love you and love our family. Thank you to everyone for the love and warm wishes — we all feel them.”
Happy birthday, BW! So glad we could celebrate you today. Love you and love our family.
— Demi Moore (@justdemi) March 20, 2023
Thank you to everyone for the love and warm wishes - we all feel them. pic.twitter.com/vcb50QP9hr
Moore’s tweet took over the internet with over 15 million views. Many left comments sharing how nice it was to simply see Willis so clearly happy with his loved ones, especially given his bleak diagnosis.
“This brought tears to my eyes. He looks great and the entire family looks happy and well. So beautiful to see. Happy Birthday, Bruce!!” one person wrote.
Another added, “Thanks to you for letting us be part of that moment, you know that we love and care about Bruce. Receive a loving hug to all the family and friends.”
One person noted how dementia affects an entire family, and a little compassion can go a long way.
“Dementia is a roller coaster which all the family rides. Ups, downs, spirals, and sudden turns. Relationships are stressed to breaking points. But pales to the depth of fear seen in the patient’s eyes when they can’t trust their mind anymore. Hugs and embraces helps their fear,” they wrote.
Willis’ daughter Scout also made a heartfelt Instagram post that’s simply too poignant not to share.
Alongside a childhood photo showing Scout as a sleepy kid resting on Willis’ shoulders, she praised her “Pisces King” of a father for his mastery of being “both action hero icon and gentle girl dad.”“Today is not necessarily an easy day,” she continued. “Because it’s a day full of so deep love, and our grief really does show us the depth of our loving for someone. So I’m trying to be with both today.”
Scout’s post concluded with the hope that her message might provide some comfort for “anyone who has ever felt their capacity stretched by the enormity of love and the humanness of grief.”
Losing a loved one is never easy. Losing them to dementia, however, is a very specific type of pain. But as these shared moments show, continuing to cherish life can be a very healing salve for everyone involved.