Bruce Willis, 68, flashes a smile riding on Splash Mountain at Disneyland…amid dementia battle

Bruce Willis flashed a cheerful smile, much to the delight of fans, as he enjoyed a ride on Splash Mountain during a trip to Disneyland in a new Instagram video shared by wife, Emma Heming, on Thursday. 

The Die Hard star, 68, who has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia following his retirement from acting, was not only joined by his wife to the amusement park, but also his children. 

In the clip shared by Heming, 44, she could be seen filming with her smartphone while seated on the log ride with husband, Bruce, and their daughter, Mabel, 11, directly behind. 

‘Here we go!’ she yelled out, while the former Hollywood actor placed his left arm protectively in front of his daughter before splashing down. ‘Smile,’ he said, with the clip cutting to after the fall. 

Bruce let out a laugh and wiped a few droplets away from his face, and sweetly told Mabel, ‘You gotta watch out, I think we are gonna go again.’  

Although it is unclear when the video was exactly taken, Emma also uploaded a photo of Bruce’s three daughters whom he shares with ex-wife Demi Moore: Rumer, 34, Scout, 31, and Tallulah, 29, who jumped on the ride as well. 

She had the chance to enjoy Splash Mountain multiple times, such as going on with daughter, Mabel, and Evelyn, nine, whom she welcomed with Willis after tying the knot in 2009. 

Lastly, the model shared a short reel in the slideshow post that was taken from a far distance as she went down the steep drop on the ride. 

In the caption, Heming penned, ‘You bet this family will be back for more fun and laughs when you reopen as Tiana Bayou! Thanks for all the memories Splash Mountain.’ 

The iconic ride officially closed on May 31 and will turn into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, based on the Disney classic, The Princess And The Frog, with a reopening date set for 2024, according to People.   

Social media users flocked to the comment section to share their support and joy to see The Sixth Sense star having a blast and smiling with his family. 

One typed, ‘I love how he’s protecting her with his arm! Dad instincts, so sweet,’ while another wrote, ‘To see Bruce and his family happy is the best.’ 

A follower applauded Emma by adding, ‘Good job Mrs Willis you are in control of Bruce’s dementia. It takes fun times and lots of work. I controlled my husbands Dementia/Alztimers for 18 years.’

‘Just keeping him going traveling, fun places, eating out and talking to him all day. Stimulating his brain. Helping him remember. Children are so beautiful and you are too!’ the fan concluded.  

One follower commented on the importance of family, penning, ‘Love and Family is reason we hope, the reason we keep believing and the reason we keep pushing forward. and blessings to your family.’ 

Earlier this year in February, Bruce’s family issued a statement on Instagram to reveal his specific diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). 

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, ‘The nerve cell damage caused by frontotemporal dementia leads to loss of function in these brain regions, which variably cause deterioration in behavior, personality and/or difficulty with producing or comprehending language.’ 

Late last month in May, Emma also jumped to Instagram to reveal that Wave Life Sciences had ended a clinical trial that aimed to find a treatment for FTD. 

‘Yesterday I read that Wave Life Sciences ended their clinical trial that could potentially treat frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS.),’ she wrote. 

Although the entrepreneur admitted that the news felt like a ‘gut punch’ she added that she is always looking for ‘silver linings.’ 

‘So I want to say thank you to Wave Life Sciences also to Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation and AFTD who played an active role through the Treat FTD Fund program.’ 

‘Please keep that momentum going, build on the learnings/findings and don’t give up on this loving community,’ and positively emphasized that, ‘Our family will continue to keep the faith and never lose hope.’ 

Bruce’s daughter, Tallulah, shared a moving piece that was published in Vogue on May 31 that touched on her father’s dementia. 

Although her family initially announced in 2022 that Willis was diagnosed with aphasia before revealing he has FTD, the actress admitted, ‘But 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!” Later that unresponsiveness broadened, and I sometimes took it personally,’ she revealed. 

‘He had had two babies with my stepmother, Emma Heming Willis, and I thought he’d lost interest in me,’ but added that it, ‘couldn’t have been further from the truth…’ 

The star added, ‘I admit that I have met Bruce’s decline in recent years with a share of avoidance and denial that I’m not proud of. The truth is that I was too sick myself to handle it,’ and explained she had suffered from the eating disorder known as anorexia nervosa. 

‘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,’ Tallulah wrote. 

The star explained that now, ‘I can savor that time, hold my dad’s hand, and feel that it’s wonderful,’ while also stating ‘that this is the beginning of grief, but that whole thing about loving yourself before you can love somebody else—it’s real.’ 

She continued, ‘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,’ and added, ‘He still knows who I am and lights up when I enter the room.’ 

Bruce has not only seen support from loved ones and fans, but also fellow actors, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

During an interview with CinemaBlend earlier this week to promote his latest project titled, Fubar, The Terminator star shed his thoughts on Willis’ retirement. ‘I think that he’s fantastic.’ 

‘He was, always for years and years, is a huge, huge star. And I think that he will always be remembered as a great, great star. And a kind man.’

‘I understand that under his circumstances, health-wise, that he had to retire. But in general, you know, we never really retire. Action heroes, they reload.’ Schwarzenegger and Bruce both notably starred in The Expendables together, which was directed by Sylvester Stallone.