“I really feel it today”

It’s an emotional Christmas for Bruce Willis and his loved ones, his wife Emma Heming Willis says in a new Instagram message named Die hard The star turned 68 on March 19. After his family announced that the action star would step back from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, it was revealed last month that Willis now suffers from frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

Along with three adult daughters – Rumer, Scout and Tallulah – he shares with ex-wife Demi Moore, Pulp Fiction The star, 10-year-old Mabel and 8-year-old Evelyn, is engaged to former model Emma, ​​whom he married in 2009. Since her husband’s diagnosis was announced in February, Emma has been using her platform to raise awareness about FTD, advocate for and speak openly about her husband. her grief — something she admitted she was “really feeling” on the occasion of his birthday.

“Today is my husband’s birthday,” the 45-year-old shared in a video message posted to Instagram Stories on Sunday. “I started the morning crying, as you can see in my swollen eyes and stuffy nose.”

She went on to speak of how she was commended for putting on a brave face amid her husband’s health challenges, even though she is struggling on the inside.

“I think it’s important that you see all aspects of this,” said the CocoBaba founder. “I always get this message, or people always say to me ‘Oh, you’re so strong, I don’t know how you do it.'” I don’t have a choice. I wish I did. But I’m also raising two kids in this, so sometimes in our lives we have to put our big girl panties on and get to them, and that’s what I do. But I have times of sadness every day, sadness every day, and I really feel for him today on his birthday.”

Emma — who recently urged fans and the media to give her husband space when he’s out — also got emotional when she talked about putting together an Instagram reel to celebrate Willis’ birthday.

“I don’t know why I would do it to myself because videos are like a knife in my heart,” she confessed to fans. “But as much as I do it for myself, I do it for you because I know how much you love my husband – don’t cry, Emma – but it means a lot to me, so thank you.”