Tallulah Willis recently shared that she was diagnosed with autism as an adult. On March 15, 2024, Tallulah, 30, shared a video from when she was a child. In the video, her dad, actor Bruce Willis, was holding her as he answered a reporter's questions on the red carpet. In the middle of his interview, Tallulah was playing with her dad's ears and touching his head. On Instagram, she captioned the video with "tell me your autistic without telling me your autistic ."
This was actually the first time that Tallulah (subtly) shared her diagnosis with the public, which she revealed when responding to a comment on her post.
"If you’re open to sharing, did you get diagnosed as a child?" one person asked in a comment on the post. "Not sure how much of your journey you’ve shared but would love to read more. You’re brave and inspiring and this is a very sweet video."
"Actually this is the first time I’ve ever publicly shared my diagnosis," Tallulah responded.
"Found out this summer and it’s changed my life," she continued. Many people in the comments were supportive, with some pointed out that Tallulah was "stimming" in the video.
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"Stimming," also called self-stimulatory behaviors, is commonly associated with autism spectrum disorder, according to Cleveland Clinic, though not exclusively.
Stimming means repeating the same movements or sounds. People have different reasons for stimming. Some people stim for emotional regulation, like to cope with anxiety or overstimulation.
Many also noticed how Bruce was completely unbothered by his daughter's behavior in the video.
"I love how unfazed your Dad is here," one person wrote.
"His care for your feelings is magic," another commented. "Take it from someone who didn’t grow up with a father. ❤️ I’m so happy you have moments captured in the vault of Forever ."
A lot of the people who watched the video saw it as a beautiful memory that Tallulah has of her father, who has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
"What an amazing memory of you and your dad," one person responded to the video. "Neurospicy folx make the world a better place. ❤."
"This is actually beautiful to watch, his way of being with you as a kid," another added.
Tallulah previously wrote about living with depression and being diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, ADHD, and borderline personality disorder in an essay for Vogue in spite of being "afraid of looking like a spoiled, insensitive, whining jerk."
In the essay, Tallulah admitted that as Bruce's health began to decline, she "was too sick [herself] to handle it."
"I admit that I have met Bruce’s decline in recent years with a share of avoidance and denial that I’m not proud of," she wrote.
After being sent to a rehabilitation center and being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, she began to feel better, which has allowed her to be present and be there for her dad.
"Recovery is probably lifelong, but I now have the tools to be present in all facets of my life, and especially in my relationship with my dad," she wrote. "I can bring him an energy that’s bright and sunny, no matter where I’ve been."
"Now that I’m feeling better I ask myself, How can I make him more comfortable?" she continued in the essay.
