Demi Moore opens up about connection with ex Bruce Willis amid dementia battle

Demi Moore and Bruce Willis continue to prove that they have the healthiest relationship in Hollywood, despite divorcing in 2000 after 13 years of marriage.

The former couple, who share daughters Rumer, 36, Scout, 33, and Tallulah, 31, made sure to prioritize their children during their split and became best friends as they navigated the world of co-parenting.

A foundation of love

The Substance actress opened up about her close connection with Bruce in an interview with People, explaining that the love they shared for their children allowed them to build a strong friendship.

“Regardless of what the outside relationship has been, we have maintained being a family in various forms,” Demi told the publication. “The foundation of making our children our priority has never wavered.”

She shared that she was now content with “my family, including my four-legged family, my children and all of the incredible, loving people in my life.”

“I feel really so lucky,” she added.

Demi previously talked about her friendship with the Die Hard star, reiterating that “we will always be a family, just in a different form.”

“I hope it’s encouraging for others to see that there’s a different way to do things. There is life after divorce. There is a way to co-parent with love,” she told Variety.

Setting an example

Their daughter Rumer, who welcomed a child of her own in 2023, shared just how impactful her parents’ dedication to co-parenting was during her formative years. 

“Even when they split up, they created such a beautiful foundation of prioritizing my sisters and I, that I never felt like I had to choose,” she said on Loose Women. “They never played against each other.”

“We were a family, and we still are very much a family, no matter what,” she continued. “Not only did I feel like that set me up in my life to have such a beautiful foundation of my own family, but now as I’m working through co-parenting as well, I feel deep gratitude for the example they’ve set.”

A pillar of support

Demi and Bruce have grown even closer amid his ongoing battle with dementia, following a shock diagnosis in February 2024.

He was initially diagnosed with aphasia in 2022 before his condition progressed and doctors delivered the news to his wife of 16 years, Emma Heming. The couple share daughters Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 10.

Emma has been a fierce advocate for caregivers as she navigates her new normal with Bruce, even writing a book to provide the support that she lacked. 

“Born from grief, shaped by love and guided by purpose, this is the book I needed back when Bruce was first diagnosed and I was frozen with fear and uncertainty,” she wrote on Instagram of The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope and Yourself on the Caregiving Path.

“This is the book I trust will help the next caregiver,” she continued. “It is filled with support, insight and the hope needed to navigate this journey. This book is for all of us finding our way through the unknown with love, grit and courage. You are not alone.”

Demi has been a pillar of strength for Emma and the family amid this challenging time, and has visited her ex-husband weekly to help his wife with her caregiving duties.

To learn more about Emma’s caregiving journey, see below…