What We Know About Emma Heming's Marriage To Bruce Willis
Whether you know him from "Pulp Fiction" or "Die Hard," Bruce Willis is a legend in the film industry and has been featured in many iconic movies throughout his career. Years after his marriage to Demi Moore ended in 2000, Willis and former Victoria's Secret model Emma Heming Willis fell in love. The two got married in 2009, and since then, they have welcomed two daughters into their blended family and have enjoyed over a decade together.
On March 30, 2022, Emma Heming Willis shocked the world when she announced in an Instagram post that her husband has been diagnosed with aphasia and will be taking a step back in his career because of the disorder. The post featured a photo of the "Moonlighting" actor wearing sunglasses and a bathrobe and a caption that announced the news to fans across the world. "We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him. As Bruce always says, 'Live it up' and together we plan to do just that," she wrote. The post was signed by Willis' entire family, including ex-wife Moore and their three daughters, Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah.
So, just what has Emma Heming Willis' marriage to Bruce Willis been like? Keep reading to find out about the truth about their relationship over the years.
Bruce Willis first met Emma Heming Willis back in 2007
It only took one date back in 2007 for Bruce Willis and former Victoria's Secret model Emma Heming Willis to know they were soon going to fall madly in love with one another. According to Us Weekly, the couple didn't meet on the set of a big film but rather through a mutual trainer's gym. "We went on one date, on the Friday before Emma was getting ready to move back to New York, and then we fell mad crazy in love," Willis told W magazine back in 2009 (via Access). "When you think about where are you going to find that big love of your life, you seldom think it's someone you already know. You think it's someone [you've] yet to meet."
In an exclusive interview with "People's List" in 2020, the couple opened up about that special moment when they first locked eyes. "When we first met, I was surprised at how charming and how funny he was — and extremely handsome," she said, revealing her initial impression of Willis. Willis responded, saying, "I was already in love with her."
The two officially tied the knot in 2009
Bruce Willis and Emma Heming Willis officially said "I do" in 2009 with a luxurious wedding ceremony at Willis' home in Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos (via People). Many celebrity guests attended the couple's big day, including the actor's ex-wife Demi Moore with her husband at the time, Aston Kutcher. Notably, Willis was previously married to Moore from 1987 to 2000, as noted by Us Weekly, and they share three daughters: Rumer, who was born in 1988; Scout, who was born in 1991; and Tallulah, who was born in 1994.
Over a decade later, Willis and Heming Willis are still together and appear to be just as in love as they were back when they first met. In March 2021, the couple celebrated their 12-year wedding anniversary. Heming Willis shared a touching tribute on Instagram to commemorate the huge milestone in their relationship. She wrote in the caption, "Boy I sure do love this guy to the moon and back! Even though there's been times I would have loved to take him to the moon, drop him off, and come back solo! That's what 12 years of marriage looks like, right?" While she noted that they've had good and bad times in their relationship, she said, "But he is my person. There's no one I would want to go through this crazy thing called marriage with than with him. He's my family, he's given me the family (and more) I dreamed of and I love him to my core. Happy 12th anniversary, my sweet."
They've had plenty of sweet PDA red carpet moments together
Bruce Willis created a legacy for himself in the film industry and has been featured in many iconic films. Between "Pulp Fiction" and "Die Hard" (via IMDb), Willis has proven time and time again that he is a force to be reckoned with as an actor. Willis' wife, Emma Heming Willis, has accompanied her husband on many different occasions on the red carpet, and the two love birds have never failed to show off just the right amount of public displays of affection. When strutting the red carpet at the movie premiere for his film "A Good Day to Die Hard" in February 2013, the actor didn't miss an opportunity to give his wife the biggest kiss possible (via Just Jared).
This wasn't the first time the couple had been open about their love for one another in public. In an interview with W magazine in 2009, Willis and Heming Willis discussed how their relationship changed their perspective on what love is really about and what they look for in a partnership. "I went from 'F*** love' to 'Love is truly the answer,'" he said (via People). Willis admitted that, since getting married, they may or may not have had a make-out session or two in public. "We're sickening. We make out in public," he shared. "I know there's some rule that you're not supposed to be doing — what is it? Public displays of affection?"
Bruce and Emma Willis have two children together, Mabel Ray and Evelyn Penn
Bruce Willis and Emma Heming Willis have welcomed two children into their blended family. Three years since tying the knot, the couple welcomed their first daughter, Mabel Ray, on April 1, 2012 (via People). Two years later, their second daughter (and the actor's fifth daughter), Evelyn Penn, was born on May 5, 2014, according to People. The family spends lots of quality time together, and they even took their daughters skiing for the first time in December 2021. Emma Heming Willis shared their special outing on Instagram, captioning her post, "Success! First time skiing! #proudmommoment."
Bruce Willis has an incredibly close relationship with all of his daughters, and he has gotten used to being surrounded by a large group of women over the years. In November 2020, his oldest daughter, Rumer Willis, from his first marriage with Demi Moore appeared on "The Talk" as a guest host, and she opened up about the pressure she feels while dating, especially from her father. "Even my dad puts pressure on me and he is so out of even who I'm dating at all, but he, over the quarantine was like, 'So I'd like for you to have a son because I need some male energy in this group,'" she said. "It's a lot of women obviously. He has five daughters and my mom and my stepmom so there's just a lot of female energy."
Emma appeared in her husband's movie Red 2
In 2013, Bruce Willis starred in "Red 2," a sequel to his famous thriller about a retired CIA agent. You may have missed it, but his wife Emma Heming Willis actually had a cameo in the film, too. She played Kelly, an assistant. The character was killed by Horton, played by Neal McDonough (via YouTube).
While neither Emma nor Bruce has spoken about the experience of working together on "Red 2," it seems likely that Emma took a part in the film in order to travel with Bruce during the filming. After all, she had recently given birth to their first daughter, Mabel. As The Daily Mail reported, she and her six-month-old daughter were actually spotted on set in Paris watching Bruce at work.
Even though Emma and Bruce didn't share any screen time in the film, the pair did attend the premiere together (via YouTube).
Emma Heming Willis and Demi Moore love each other like 'sisters'
Talk about blended family goals! Over the years, Bruce Willis and his wife, Emma Heming Willis, have developed a strong relationship with the "Die Hard" actor's ex-wife, Demi Moore. Moore expressed all of her love towards Heming Willis on International Women's Day in March 2021 when she shared an Instagram post dedicated to the women that continue to inspire her every day, including the former model. She described Heming Willis as "a beautiful mother dedicated to her family, an absolutely gorgeous woman," and she called them "sisters." She wrote, "@emmahemingwillis: I #SeeHer as family who I am honored to call a friend. Our children are sisters and yet there is no name for what our family connection is to one another. We are mothers united, sisters bonded on this crazy adventure of life."
From going on family vacations to attending birthday celebrations, these two have proven time and time again that they are the ultimate definition of friend goals! When Bruce Willis and Emma Heming Willis decided to renew their wedding vows in March 2019, they wanted Moore there, too. "She welcomed me into her family like I welcomed her into ours. I have so much respect for how Bruce and Demi worked through their divorce to be able to put their children first. I learned so much from that and grew so much from watching that. It was important for her to be there," Heming Willis told Us Weekly.
Their blended family is incredibly close, and they even quarantined together
During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we're pretty sure most couples would never have thought to quarantine with their ex. However, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore proved that it is possible to isolate with your former spouse. During quarantine, the former couple and their three daughters quarantined together, spending some quality time as a family. Naturally, this included wearing matching pajamas sets and having family painting nights (via Us Weekly).
Willis' wife, Emma Heming Willis, first quarantined in Los Angeles with their two daughters, rather than in Sun Valley, Idaho with the rest of the family. Scout, one of Willis' daughters with Moore, explained why they didn't quarantine together on the "Dopey" podcast in April 2020. "My stepmom was going to come up here too with my little sisters," she said (via Us Weekly). "[But] my younger sister ... [who has] never gotten a talk about not f***ing with hypodermic needles ... she found [needles at a park and] she actually tried to poke her shoe with it and poked her foot." According to People, by May 2020, Willis was finally reunited with his wife and youngest daughters when they flew out to Idaho to quarantine together and celebrate their daughter Evelyn's 6th birthday.
They renewed their vows for their 10-year anniversary
In 2019, Bruce Willis and his wife Emma Heming Willis renewed their wedding vows a decade after they first tied the knot. "We said, we do, again, 10 years later," Emma wrote in an Instagram post at the time.
As People reported, the pair had a small ceremony with their close friends and family. The couple's daughters, Mabel and Evelyn, were there, along with Willis' ex-wife Demi Moore, and their three daughters Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah.
"It was so much fun having our two young daughters there," Emma told Us Weekly later. "It was really for them, to be able to be flower girls, for them to be a part of something that feels kind of monumental. Ten years felt like a big deal and something fun to celebrate." As Emma went on to explain, she had planned the low-key event herself and made a special point of inviting Moore. "I loved having her there again. I wouldn't do it without her."
Emma always shares the couple's milestones on social media
Prior to sharing Bruce Willis' aphasia diagnosis, Emma Heming Willis was well-known for always posting about heartwarming milestones the couple experienced and the fun times that they enjoyed together. Whether she shared vacations, birthdays, or special wedding anniversaries, Heming Willis has often brought her Instagram followers in on the fun.
The former model had been sharing touching tributes to her husband before the world found out about his diagnosis on March 30, 2022. Heming Willis posted a slideshow of touching photos on Instagram, showing the couple kissing, cuddling, and happily smiling, to celebrate Willis' birthday on March 19. "I don't just love him, I really, really like him #birthdayboy," she captioned her post. On March 21, she posted another sweet photo of the couple — this one showing them looking emotional at their 2009 wedding. "13 years ago, those wedding speeches really sent us over the edge. Enjoy! #uglycry #weddinganniversary #lucky13," she wrote.
Emma Heming Willis revealed that her husband was stepping away from the industry
On March 30, 2022, Bruce Willis' family shared on Instagram that the actor had been diagnosed with aphasia and would be taking a step back from his career to focus on his health. His wife, Emma Heming Willis, shared a photo on Instagram of the actor with the caption, "To Bruce's amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities," she wrote.
The Mayo Clinic defines aphasia as a cognitive issue that can develop after a stroke or an injury to the head. Over time, the disease can permanently effect your ability to communicate with other people, understand language, and speak fully coherent sentences. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, aphasia can present differently depending on which side of the brain is affected.
As a result of this diagnosis, Willis will ultimately be stepping back from his acting career, as Heming Willis noted in her post.
Emma spoke out about Bruce's dementia diagnosis and her grief in the aftermath
In 2022, Bruce Willis was diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder that impacts the brain. His wife, Emma Heming Willis, Bruce's family, and Demi Moore released statements on Instagram announcing the diagnosis. The following year, the family announced that he had also been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (via The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration).
For Emma, the diagnosis was difficult to come to terms with. In an Instagram post in 2022, Emma revealed, "This was the summer of self-discovery — finding new hobbies, going out of my comfort zone, and staying active. My grief can be paralyzing but I'm learning how to live alongside it." She went on to explain that her stepdaughter, Scout, had given her the helpful advice that "grief is the deepest and purest form of love. I hope you find some comfort in that too."
Emma admires that 'fear has never stopped' Bruce
It seems that Emma Heming Willis' admiration for Bruce Willis has only grown over the years. In 2022, the model shared a touching message about her husband on Instagram. Alongside a throwback video of her husband singing a song with the famous band, The Temptations, she wrote about her husband's bravery, passion, and determination.
"You can say what you want (and boy, have they) but this guy has always been led by his passion and has never let naysayers stop him from, well, anything," she wrote. "And I have so much respect, love, and admiration for that man because of it. Enjoy this little ditty that warms my heart." We can hardly blame Emma for falling even more in love with Bruce after watching this video!
In an Instagram story, Emma even called Bruce her "North Star" (via People). This couple just gets more and more adorable the more we hear about them. Talk about couple goals!
Emma wants to provide Bruce with the best care
Ever since Bruce Willis received his dementia diagnosis, his wife Emma Heming Willis has been determined to help him receive the best possible care.
"The focus for Bruce is to keep him active," a source told People of Emma's approach. "He has a busy schedule with activities every day. They make sure both his body and brain is exercised." Emma is also making sure that Bruce gets quality time with their two young daughters. "She wants them to remember Bruce as an amazing, fun dad. She wants them to have the best memories of him."
Emma also spoke out about the paparazzi's treatment of her husband. "This one is going out to the photographers and the video people that are trying to get those exclusives of my husband out and about. Just keep your space. I know this is your job, but maybe just keep your space," she pleaded on her Instagram. It's clear that Emma is determined to protect and care for Bruce as much as she possibly can.