Emma Heming Willis is standing firm when it comes to what’s best for her husband, Bruce Willis.
During an interview with Michael Strahan on Good Morning America Tuesday, Sept. 9, the 49-year-old author and caregiver advocate addressed the criticism her family has faced after deciding to move the actor into his own home as he continues to navigate his dementia diagnosis. The move, which Heming Willis details in her new book The Unexpected Journey, sparked an online debate that she says she fully anticipated.
“I knew it would,” she admitted to Strahan. “But at the end of the day, it was the safest and best decision — not just for Bruce, but also for our two young girls. It was a hard decision, but the right one.”
She made it clear she has no intention of justifying the choice further. “And, you know, it’s really not up for a debate,” she continued. “Now I know that Bruce has the best care 100% of the time. His needs are met 100% of the time, as well as our two young daughters’. So I’m not gonna take a vote on that.”
With her new book now available, Heming Willis hopes to shed light on the realities of caregiving while continuing to advocate for her husband’s dignity and health.
Emma first revealed that Bruce, 70, had moved into a separate home away from his family for treatment and safety during a recent interview with Diane Sawyer as part of the couple’s ABC News special, Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey.
While the decision drew some critical reactions, Emma explained to Michael Strahan, 53, on Good Morning America Tuesday that such responses are not unexpected. “I feel like caregivers are so judged, and it just goes to show that people sometimes just have an opinion versus really having the experience,” she said.
“And I’ll say that dementia plays out differently in every household. If you’ve seen one case of dementia, it’s one case of dementia,” Emma explained. “So you have to do what is right for your family and what is going to keep your loved one safe, as well as your young children.”
For Emma, the turning point in deciding to move Bruce into a separate home came after a sobering statistic his neurologist shared: that sometimes caregivers die before the loved ones they are caring for.
“I think that was my wake-up call to realize that I need to get help, and I’m not a failure because I need help,” she admitted. “It’s okay for me to raise my hand. I didn’t realize that. I really needed permission for someone to tell me that it’s okay to get help.”
She hopes her new book provides that same reassurance for others. “That’s what I hope this book does for caregivers: it just gives them the permission to be able to care for themselves. Because if they don’t, how will they be able to show up and continue to care for the person that they love?” Emma said.
Emma told PEOPLE in a recent cover interview that the decision to move Bruce into his own space “was the hardest thing,” noting that his progressive frontotemporal dementia (FTD) “requires a calm and serene atmosphere.”
The home, considered the family’s “second home,” is a single-story house nearby that better suits Bruce’s specific needs — a quiet, safe, and comfortable environment with round-the-clock care. Emma explained that the arrangement has also allowed their daughters, Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11, to continue being their high-spirited selves.
Quick to acknowledge the family’s privilege in being able to facilitate this living arrangement, Emma said she is deeply grateful for its impact. “Everything just feels a lot calmer, more at ease now,” she said.
Her book, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, is now available wherever books are sold.
