Bruce Willis and his growing family continue to melt our hearts.
The “Die Hard” star was the subject of a loving Father’s Day post from his daughter Rumer Willis, who became a mom in April and thanked her dad — who was recently diagnosed with dementia — “for being the silliest, most loving, coolest Daddio a girl could ask for.”
“Fathers to the old and new,” Rumer wrote Monday on Instagram. “Seeing my father hold my daughter today was something I will treasure for the rest of my life. His sweetness and love for her were so pure and beautiful. Papa, I’m so lucky to have you and so is Lou.”
“Best Girl Dad in the game,” she added.
The family announced in March 2022 that Willis was “stepping away” from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, a condition that affects the ability to communicate. In February, they said Willis’ condition had progressed to frontotemporal dementia.
The average life expectancy after the start of FTD symptoms is seven to 13 years, due to elevated risks of issues like pneumonia, infection and injury, per the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration. Willis’ family, including his ex-wife, Demi Moore, have reportedly grown closer amid his health issues.
Rumer also thanked boyfriend Derek Richard Thomas in her post for being so dedicated to their baby, Louetta Isley Thomas Willis. (The new father and professional musician has spent time jamming with Willis.)
“Thank you for building a beautiful garden for Lou to play in and eat from,” Rumer wrote. “Thank you for filling the house with music for her to hear. Thank you for all the late-night diaper changes and silly faces.”
“I’m so grateful our girl has a papa that loves her so much and someone so goofy and weird so she knows that’s ok for her to be too,” she continued. “Thank you for the greatest girl I could imagine in my wildest dreams. We love you.”
Willis was recently lauded by his old pal Arnold Schwarzenegger, who said his “Expendables” co-star “will always be remembered” as a “great star” and a “kind man.” The 68-year-old is still here, however, as his wife, Emma Heming, gratefully noted Sunday.
“Father’s Day is a time I get to reflect on my deep appreciation and respect I have for Bruce as I watch him father our little ones,” Heming wrote on Instagram. “Where it might not be ‘conventional,’ what he’s teaching them will span generations.”
“Unconditional love, kindness, strength, compassion, patiences, generosity, resilience,” she continued. “Happy Father’s Day to the greatest dad I know, who will forever be the gift that keeps giving within our family.”
(this story has not been edited by TSA Mag staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
