Tallulah, Bruce Willis’ Daughter, Says He Still Recognizes Her Amid Dementia Diagnosis

Following 68-year-old Bruce Willis‘ 2022 frontotemporal dementia diagnosis, his 29-year-old daughter Tallulah has stated that her famous dad can still recognize her. Tallulah, who is also an actress, recently wrote a tell-all article for Vogue about her relationship with her parents and her father’s diagnosis. Tallulah’s mother is Demi Moore, who was married to Willis from 1987 to 2000.

In the essay, Tallulah writes, “I’ve known that something was wrong for a long time. It started out with a kind of vague unresponsiveness, which the family chalked up to Hollywood hearing loss: ‘Speak up! Die Hard messed with Dad’s ears.’ ”

Tallulah Willis Discusses Life After Father’s Diagnosis

Tallulah’s essay continues, “Later that unresponsiveness broadened, and I sometimes took it personally. He had had two babies with my stepmother, Emma Heming Willis, and I thought he’d lost interest in me. Though this couldn’t have been further from the truth, my adolescent brain tortured itself with some faulty math: I’m not beautiful enough for my mother, I’m not interesting enough for my father.”

Initially, navigating her father’s illness was extremely difficult for Tallulah, but after receiving a diagnosis of her own, the adult daughter of the Pulp Fiction actor was able to process the unfortunate truth. Tallulah was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder and has been treated for an eating disorder.

Tallulah added, ”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. I can bring him an energy that’s bright and sunny, no matter where I’ve been. In the past I was so afraid of being destroyed by sadness, but finally I feel that I can show up and be relied upon. I can savor that time, hold my dad’s hand, and feel that it’s wonderful.”

In her essay for Vogue, Tallulah also stated that she loves to reminisce on the memories she’s shared with her father. She wrote, “I’m like an archaeologist, searching for treasure in stuff that I never used to pay much attention to. I have every voicemail from him saved on a hard drive. I find that I’m trying to document, to build a record for the day when he isn’t there to remind me of him and of us. These days, my dad can be reliably found on the first floor of the house, somewhere in the big open plan of the kitchen-dining-living room, or in his office. Thankfully, dementia has not affected his mobility.”

Bruce Willis has four other children, who all vow to be there for him during this difficult time. His family, including ex-wife Demi Moore, made a statement regarding the actor which read, “The focus for Bruce is to keep him active. He has a busy schedule with activities every day. They make sure both his body and brain is exercised.”

READ MORE: Bruce Willis’ Wife Emma Heming Denies Exploiting Actor’s Dementia Diagnosis for Publicity