Bruce Willis sings with family during first birthday celebration after dementia diagnosis
Birthday celebration FILE PHOTO: Bruce Willis attends the 17th Annual A Great Night In Harlem at The Apollo Theater on April 04, 2019 in New York City. Willis turned 68 over the weekend and was celebrated by his family months after his dementia diagnosis. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
By Natalie Dreier, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Bruce Willis’ ex-wife has shared a touching video of the actor during his recent birthday celebration, the first since he was diagnosed with dementia.
“Sometimes in our lives, we have to put our big girl panties on and get to it, and that’s what I’m doing,” she said on Instagram. “But I do have times of sadness every day, grief every day and I’m really feeling it today on his birthday.”
She also spoke about putting together a video in honor of her husband’s birthday, saying that “the videos are like a knife in my heart” but that she does it because she knows how much he is loved by his fans.
Willis had been diagnosed with a speaking disorder called aphasia in 2022, but last month announced that it had progressed into frontotemporal dementia, or FTD, the “Today” show reported.
There is no cure or treatment to slow the disease progression, and the “Die Hard” actor retired last year because the condition impacted his cognitive abilities, BBC News reported.
The Alzheimer’s Association says FTD is “a group of disorders caused by progressive nerve cell loss in the brain’s frontal lobes (the areas behind your forehead) or its temporal lobes.”
The frontal and temporal lobes control personality, behavior and language. FTD is typically diagnosed in people in their 40s through 60s, the Alzheimer’s Association said.
Through the years March 1995.Bruce Willis And Samuel L.Jackson Star In The New Die Hardd Movie. (Photo By Getty Images) (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Through the years March 1995.Bruce Willis Stars In The New Die Hardd Movie. (Photo By Getty Images) (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Through the years 1997 Bruce Willis stars in the new movie "The Fifth Element" (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Through the years 9/14/97- The 49th Emmy Awards- Bruce Willis with Demi Moore. (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Through the years 1998 (L To R) Steve Buscemi, Will Patton, Bruce Willis, Michael Duncan, Ben Affleck, And Owen Wilson Star In "Armageddon." (Photo By Getty Images) (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Through the years Ben (Bruce Willis) And Stan (Rob Reiner) Discuss Their View On Marriage In The Romantic Comedy, "The Story Of Us." (Photo By Getty Images) (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Through the years 1999 Haley Joel Osment And Bruce Willis Star In "The Sixth Sense." (Photo By Getty Images) (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Through the years 1999-2000 David Schwimmer, Bruce Willis (who plays Paul) guest starring on "Friends"(the one where Ross meet's Elizabeth's dad). Photo Credit: Paul Drinkwater NBC (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Through the years Actor Bruce Willis announces the new star-packed entertainment channel "PlanetHollywood.com" July 17, 2000 at Planet Hollywood in New York City. (Photo by George De Sota/Getty Images) (George De Sota/Getty Images)
Through the years BERLIN - JUNE 18: Actor Bruce Willis attends the German photocall to Die Hard 4.0 June 18, 2007 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Through the years WASHINGTON - JUNE 27: Actor Bruce Willis (L) and Director of the National Museum of American History Brent Glass (R) pose with objects from the "Die Hard" series of films that Willis donated to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History June 27, 2007 in Washington, DC. A selection of "Die Hard" items will go on display in the new acquisitions case in the museum's "Treasures of American History" exhibition at the Smithsonian. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Through the years ROME - OCTOBER 15: Actor Bruce Willis attends the Italian premiere of the movie "Live Free Or Die Hard" at Auditorium Conciliazione October 15, 2007 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Elisabetta Villa/Getty Images) (Elisabetta Villa/Getty Images)
Through the years NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: Actor Bruce Willis (R) and wife Emma Heming attend the Erin Wasson x RVCA Spring 2010 Fashion Show at Bryant Park on September 11, 2009 in New York, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for IMG) (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for IMG)
Through the years LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: Actor Bruce Willis and daughter, actress Rumer Willis arrive at the premiere of Touchstone Pictures' "Surrogates" at the El Capitan Theatre on September 24, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images) (Michael Buckner/Getty Images)
Through the years LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: Actor Bruce Willis arrives at the premiere of Touchstone Pictures' "Surrogates" at the El Capitan Theater on September 24, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Through the years NEW YORK - DECEMBER 17: Emma Heming (L) and actor Bruce Willis attend the New York premiere of "Sherlock Holmes" at the Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on December 17, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images) (Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)
Through the years LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 17: Actor Bruce Willis speaks before the screening of "Armageddon" during AFI & Walt Disney Pictures' "A Cinematic Celebration of Jerry Bruckheimer" held at the Mann Chinese 6 on May 17, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images for AFI) (Angela Weiss/Getty Images for AFI)
Through the years SAN DIEGO - JULY 22: Actors Helen Mirren (L) and Bruce Willis attend the "Red" press line during Comic-Con 2010 held at the San Diego Convention Center on July 22, 2010 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images) (Michael Buckner/Getty Images)
Through the years SAN DIEGO - JULY 22: (L to R) MTV News host Josh Horowitz, actor Bruce Willis and actor Karl Urban at the MySpace & MTV Tower at Comic Con on July 22, 2010 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for MySpace) (Jerod Harris)
Through the years NEW YORK - OCTOBER 03: Actors Morgan Freeman and Bruce Willis attend The Cinema Society & OC Concept screening of "RED" at The Museum of Modern Art on October 3, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images) (Jemal Countess/Getty Images)
Through the years BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JANUARY 16: Actors Bruce Willis and Tilda Swinton attend the InStyle and Warner Bros. 68th annual Golden Globe awards post-party at The Beverly Hilton hotel on January 16, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alexandra Wyman/Getty Images) (Alexandra Wyman/Getty Images)
Through the years NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 26: Actor Bruce Willis speaks onstage at the First Annual Comedy Awards at Hammerstein Ballroom on March 26, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images) (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
Through the years PARIS, FRANCE - FEBRUARY 11: Bruce Willis poses with his wife Emma Heming-Willis after being awarded Commandeur dans l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres at Ministere de la Culture on February 11, 2013 in Paris, France. (Photo by Julien M. Hekimian/Getty Images) (Julien M. Hekimian/Getty Images)
Through the years HOLLYWOOD, CA - MARCH 28: Actors Bruce Willis and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson attend the premiere of Paramount Pictures' "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" at TCL Chinese Theatre on March 28, 2013 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images) (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Through the years LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 19: Actors Bruce Willis (L) and Josh Brolin pose at the after party for the premiere of Dimension Films' "Sin City: A Dame To Kill For" at the Roosevelt Hotel on August 19, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Through the years NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 22: Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf onstage during the first Broadway performance curtain call of 'Misery' at the Broadhurst Theatre on October 22, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Grant Lamos IV/Getty Images) (Grant Lamos IV/Getty Images)
Through the years LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 14: (L-R) Emma Heming, Rumer Willis, Tallulah Willis, Bruce Willis and Scout Willis attend the Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis at Hollywood Palladium on July 14, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images For Comedy Central) (Neilson Barnard/Getty Images For Comedy Central)
Through the years LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 14: Bruce Willis performs onstage during the Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis at Hollywood Palladium on July 14, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Through the years LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 09: Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson and James McAvoy attend the UK Premiere of "Glass" at The Curzon Mayfair on January 09, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images) (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Through the years NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 04: Bruce Willis performs the 17th Annual A Great Night In Harlem at The Apollo Theater on April 04, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images) (Theo Wargo/Getty Images)