"Demi and I made a choice to put the kids first, and we're lucky that it turns out we all have fun together," said Willis.
Former couple Demi Moore and Bruce Willis divorced in 2000, after 13 years of their marriage. However, what started as a painful separation turned into a special friendship. The actress discussed their divorce in her memoir Inside Out, and shared an unusual statement, saying she was glad they ended their marriage. "It's a funny thing to say, but I'm very proud of our divorce," Moore penned in her book, per PEOPLE.
Willis thought Moore would resort to tactics often used by people during a divorce. "But I didn't, and neither did he," Moore proudly stated.
The couple tied the knot on November 21, 1987, after which they welcomed three daughters, Rumer in 1988, Scout in 1991, and Tallulah in 1994. Moore later said that she and Willis seemed more invested in parenthood than their marriage. "I think both of us from the outset were more passionate about having kids than we were about being married," she wrote in her autobiography.
Gradually, their marriage faced obstacles as they spent less time together and filed for divorce in 1998. Right after their divorce, Willis stated, "I still love Demi. We're very close. [...] we're probably as close now as we ever were." Both moved on with time. As per W Magazine, Willis met model Emma Heming, whom he married in 2009, and had two daughters, Evelyn and Mabel. Moore also married actor Ashton Kutcher in 2005 but separated from him six years later in 2011, before divorcing in 2013.
Willis also spoke of the concept of a blended family to W Magazine and said, "Demi and I made a choice to put the kids first, and we're lucky that it turns out we all have fun together." Unfortunately, the family received a shocking diagnosis in March 2022, when Willis was diagnosed with aphasia, a communicative disorder. Moore, Heming, and their daughters released a joint statement revealing Willis' diagnosis and announcing that he would be retiring from his longtime Hollywood acting career.
In February 2023, Moore also shared a health update on Instagram on Willis' condition, disclosing he now has a specific diagnosis— frontotemporal dementia (FTD). "Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces," the post read. The post added that although this is saddening, they are relieved to finally know about what they are dealing with specifically.
As Willis' condition advanced, they asked the media to shed light on the disease to raise awareness about the disease. The family wrote on the page of The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, "We have been so moved by the love you have all shared for our dear husband, father, and friend during this difficult time." Moore also posted a group photo of the blended family on Instagram, which displayed them all having a meal together and posing as a unit. Even their daughter, Rumer appreciated how her mother and father have maintained a healthy relationship and never made them pick between them. Rumer added, in all the difficult days, her family was able to "have deep and meaningful and honest communication."
References:
https://www.wmagazine.com/story/bruce-emma-willis
https://www.theaftd.org/mnlstatement23/
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/45167624
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cou_eUSOCaw/
Cover Image Source: (L) Getty Images | Tim P. Whitby; (R) Getty Images | Amy Sussman
