In February 2023, Bruce Willis’ family revealed that he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Since then, he has largely stayed out of the public eye, but his loved ones periodically share health updates and heartwarming memories with the general public.
Recently, Bruce’s longtime friend John Goodman shared a heartbreaking update on their friendship when speaking to People.
He revealed that he hasn’t seen Bruce in a while.
However, he did note that this is largely because they don’t live in the same area, per People. Given that the Roseanne actor, 74, hasn’t seen Bruce, 71, in a while, he mostly focused on some of his favorite memories.
In the earlier days of their friendship, many of their conversations were about their work and ambitions. “That’s all we did was talk about acting when we were at work, when we were out goofing around,” John recalled. “I could tell how serious he was. I started working out here [in LA] about a year or two later after he did.”
At the same time, it sounds like their relationship felt much deeper than general chitchat about work. John felt that Bruce really looked out for him at the time. “He took care of me…I love him so much,” he said.
He remembered how “serious” Bruce had been about acting.
John was there when Bruce found out about his role on Moonlighting. He thought back to decades ago, in the ’80s, when he spent time at the bar Bruce worked at during that time. It was around that time that Bruce first learned he had landed the Moonlighting role. John still remembers how excited he seemed.
“I remember when he got the Moonlighting job, and we were at the bar where he used to work at, and we all hung out at, and he jumped over a railing,” John told the publication. “I think he broke my shoulder, but he was so happy.”
Bruce’s family has also shared updates recently.
In August, one of Bruce’s daughters, Rumer Willis, spoke about her dad’s FTD diagnosis. “What’s been interesting having a family member with dementia, it’s like, he’s happy,” Rumer told People at the time. “As well as someone could be doing, given the circumstances, he’s doing well.”
She also loves seeing how happy her dad gets when he sees his granddaughter, Louetta. “When I get to see him, he sees me and Louetta and he starts smiling,” Rumer told the publication. “So, there’s so much love and joy and tenderness that still exists there. And in terms of that, I would say that’s a huge win.”
Bruce’s wife, Emma Heming Willis, has also focused on informing the general public about what FTD is and how it affects families. She has explained that Bruce’s condition is different from what a lot of people seem to expect, because it’s different from Alzheimer’s.
During an appearance on The Bossticks podcast, she said, “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. I think that’s a very common misconception that, when you think of dementia, we think of memory loss.”
FTD is a type of dementia, and the way it affects people can vary. For some people, it affects their ability to use and understand language. Others might experience personality or behavioral changes.
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