Scout Willis puts on a brave face after sharing ‘painful’ news that her father Bruce Willis has dementia

By Liam On Feb 17, 2023

Scout Willis left for Los Angeles Thursday just hours after her family revealed that her father, Bruce Willis, 67, has dementia.

The 31-year-old musical artist put on a brave face while running errands dressed in green leggings, a faded leather biker jacket and a sweet brown hat with ears.

He kept a low profile while shielding his eyes with square-shaped brown sunglasses with dark lenses.

The actress, whose mother is entertainment icon Demi Moore, received an outpouring of support from her friends on social media after posting “painful” news about her father in a joint statement released by her family.

Liv Tyler was among her celebrity friends to support her, with the actress sending her “lots of love” in the comments section.

Out and about: Scout Willis was spotted out and about in Los Angeles on Thursday wearing green flared and cropped yoga pants.

Scout, the middle child of Bruce and Demi, joined her family in telling fans that the actor has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), less than a year after he retired from acting due to his battle with brain disorder, aphasia.

The Hollywood icon retired from acting last year as he began his fight against the disease that caused his language skills to decline, and now his condition has “progressed,” according to a joint statement from his family on Thursday.

FTD affects the lobes of the brain behind the forehead, which deal with behaviour, problem solving, planning and emotions, with symptoms including personality changes, obsessive behavior and speech difficulties.

The statement, from his wife Emma Heming, his ex-wife Demi and their five daughters, and posted on the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration website, read: “Our family wanted to begin by expressing our deepest gratitude for the incredible outpouring of love , support and wonderful stories.” we have all received since we shared Bruce’s original diagnosis.

Strong: The 31-year-old musical artist put on a brave face after it was announced today that her father Bruce Willis, 67, has dementia

“In that spirit, we wanted to provide you with an update on our loving husband, father and friend as we now have a deeper understanding of what he is experiencing.”

“Since we announced Bruce’s aphasia diagnosis in spring 2022, Bruce’s condition has progressed and we now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia (known as FTD).

“Unfortunately, the challenges with communication are just one symptom of the illness Bruce is facing. While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis.

‘FTD is a cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and it can affect anyone. For people under the age of 60, FTD is the most common form of dementia, and because it can take years to be diagnosed, FTD is likely much more common than we know.

‘Today there are no treatments for the disease, a reality that we hope can change in the coming years. As Bruce’s condition progresses, we hope that the media attention can be focused on shedding light on this disease that needs much more awareness and research.

‘Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others and raise awareness about important issues both in public and in private.

“We know in our hearts that if I could today, I would want to respond by bringing global attention and a connection to those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it affects so many people and their families.

‘Ours is just one family with a loved one suffering from FTD, and we encourage others dealing with it to seek out the wealth of information and support available through AFTD (@theaftd, theaftd.org).

‘And for those of you who have been lucky enough not to have any personal experience with FTD, we hope you’ll take the time to learn about it and support AFTD’s mission in any way you can.’

Devastating: Bruce Willis’s family has revealed that the actor has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), less than a year after he retired from acting due to his battle with the brain disorder aphasia.

The statement was signed by Emma, Demi, and their daughters Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, and Evelyn.

Willis shares Rumer, 34, Scout, 31, and Tallulah, 29, with Moore, 60, whom he was married from 1987 to 2000. He also has two daughters, Mabel, 10, and Evelyn, 8, with wife Emma, 44.

Bruce’s blended family issued a joint statement in late March announcing that he would “walk away from the career that has meant so much to him.”

The statement revealed that he “has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is affecting his cognitive abilities.”

Bruce Willis’s family said the star’s condition had “progressed”. FTD affects the lobes of the brain behind the forehead, which deal with behavior, problem solving, planning, and emotions (pictured with LR’s wife Emma Heming, ex-wife Demi Moore, and Scout daughters, Tallulah , Mabel, Evelyn and Rumer)

WHAT IS FRONTOTEMPORAL DEMENTIA?

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) affects the lobes of the brain behind the forehead, which deal with behavior, problem solving, planning, and emotions.

The left temporal lobe is involved in the meaning of words and the names of objects.

The right recognizes familiar faces and objects.

FTD occurs when nerve cells in these lobes die and the pathways connecting them change.

The symptoms are different from the memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

These may include:

Personality changes, such as tactlessness, lack of interest in others, and lack of likability.
Repetitive and compulsive movements, such as the continued use of certain phrases, hoarding, and obsession with timing.
Craving unhealthy food and forgetting table manners
Speech difficulties, including speaking slowly, grammatical errors, and asking the meaning of familiar words like “bread.”

FTD is rare, accounting for less than five percent of all dementia cases.

However, it is one of the most common forms of the disease in people under 65 years of age.

Patients are usually between the ages of 45 and 65 at the time of diagnosis.

The rate at which FTD progresses varies greatly, with life expectancies ranging from two years to more than 10 years after diagnosis.

As more of the brain progresses and is damaged, symptoms often become similar to late-stage Alzheimer’s disease.

These can include memory loss and patients who are dependent on others to care for them.

About 10 to 20 percent of FTD patients also have a motor disorder that affects their movement.

This can cause spasms, stiffness, slow movements, and loss of balance or coordination.

In later stages, these patients may have difficulty swallowing.

About a third of FTD patients have a family history of dementia.

And the condition is often caused by a defective gene inherited from one of the patient’s parents.

Treatment focuses on helping a person live well by relieving their symptoms.

This may include counseling or a speech and language therapist.

Fountain: alzheimer society