Is Die Hard a holiday movie? AMC certainly thinks so: In December, the theater chain brought back the Bruce Willis action flick — in which his character, NYPD officer John McClane, saves the day after terrorists take hostages at his estranged wife’s office Christmas party — to select theaters 35 years after it debuted and made Bruce a household name. His second wife, Emma Heming, was delighted to see it: On December 6, the former model posted a photo of a marquee advertising the film, captioning it, “Tis the season.”
But this Christmas is also extremely bittersweet for Emma and the rest of Bruce’s family. In 2022, the Emmy winner, 68, retired from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, a brain disorder that rapidly progressed, leading to his frontotemporal dementia diagnosis nearly 10 months ago. Emma recently opened up about the “grief, loss and immense sadness” her family has suffered amid the advancement of Bruce’s disease. It’s “hard to know” if he’s aware of his condition, which is marked by impaired speech and motor skills and memory issues. However, she added, “I have hope in how our entire family can find joy in the small things, and in coming together to celebrate all the moments life has to offer.”
They’ve never felt that more than now as they prepare to gather for Christmas. “It will be very special for the family this year,” an insider exclusively tells In Touch. “And very emotional.”
Staying Strong
The blended Willis clan wants to make things wonderful for Bruce. His daughters Rumer, 35, Scout, 32, and Tallulah, 29, with ex-wife Demi Moore, 61, plus Mabel, 11, and Evelyn, 9, with Emma, 45, are determined to create more memories. “This could be his last Christmas, for all they know,” says the insider.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the typical life expectancy for those living with Bruce’s illness is just six to eight years, though some medical sources put it as low as two years. “Bruce has good days and bad days, but in the last two months, there are many more bad days than good,” says a source. “This experience has brought the whole family even closer together. No one knows how much time Bruce has left, so they’re soaking up every moment they get with him.”
