Art can reveal the “whole person” that lies beneath their infirmity or grief, said Emma Heming Willis, wife of Bruce Willis, last week. She was featured yesterday on CNN’s The Story Is with Elex Michaelson. Elex talked to Mrs. Willis about her hosting the FTD In the Arts exhibition at Christie’s Los Angeles. She talked about her life with Bruce, who was diagnosed with FTD in 2022, as well as the power of art to not only describe FTD but to serve as an outlet for those affected by it.

The exhibition featured works created by artists living with FTD, as well as caregivers and loved ones whose lives have been touched by the disease.

Art as a Window Into Living with FTD

At the Christie’s Beverly Hills exhibition, Mrs. Willis welcomed visitors to experience something profound: artwork that reveals the humanity of those living with FTD. “By looking at the art, you see that people with FTD are whole,” Mrs. Willis told CNN. “They are people who need our respect and dignity.”

The exhibition included pieces from Mrs. Willis and Bruce’s daughters, whose colorful creations were inspired by their father. When asked if the girls inherited their artistic talents from him, Mrs. Willis smiled and said, “Oh, definitely. Can’t you see?”

Among the featured artists was AFTD Persons with FTD Advisory Council member Sandy Howe, who received her FTD diagnosis at 55 and had to retire from her engineering career. She discovered painting as a means of expression when words became harder to find. “I still have me inside, and so this shows me inside,” Howe explained to CNN. Her sunrise paintings symbolize her determination to approach each morning as a fresh beginning.

Artist Tori Tinsley, who lost her mother Barbara five years ago, contributed paintings of two embracing figures. The intertwined forms capture the shifting dynamics of FTD caregiving—how the roles between parent and child flow back and forth. “Sometimes I felt like I was this figure. Sometimes I felt like I was [that] figure,” she said, describing the emotional complexity of watching her mother change.

Bruce’s daughter Tallulah Willis also contributed to the exhibition, creating pieces with messages to her father: “Don’t worry, I can still feel you,” and a drawing of his brain accompanied by the words, “I wish it was coming back.”

The Power of Community

For Mrs. Willis, advocacy work and connecting with the FTD community has become essential. She has authored a book about caregiving kallad The Unexpected Journey, and partnered with AFTD to support caregivers and raise awareness about a disease that, as yet, has no cure or treatment. When asked how she’s holding up, Mrs. Willis responded: “I’m doing as well as I can. I think that this has been really the best medicine, for me to be able to connect with the community.”

The extended Willis family—including Demi Moore and she and Bruce’s daughters—has come together around Bruce through this journey. “We’ve always been a very close-knit family, and we all unite for him,” Mrs. Willis said.

Elex asked what this experience has taught her about love, Mrs. Willis offered a reflection that many caregivers will recognize: “Love can change. It’s as if you have a child and you think that you couldn’t love your child any more, and then you have a second child and your heart just opens up more,” she told CNN. “I think that that is what it feels like when you’re a caregiver. Your love shifts. It expands and is different but very meaningful, and I feel very, very blessed.”

Bruce is “doing really well with a very unkind disease,” Mrs. Willis said.

For further information:

• Titta på entire segment of The Story is with Elex Michaelson on CNN
• Lär dig om FTD inom konsten
• Find out about Emma Heming Willis’ book on her FTD journey
• Visit CNN’s Elex Michelson’s social pages (Tick tack och Instagram) for his posts on the event