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In an era where mental health is no longer as stigmatized as it once was, famous faces are throwing caution to the wind and opening up about their own struggles. Tallulah Willis, daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, spoke out about her autism diagnosis with a heartfelt throwback video featuring her superstar father.
The 30-year-old uploaded to Instagram on March 16 with a video of herself feeling Willis’ wrinkles and ear as he holds her. She captioned the post: “Tell me [sic] your autistic without telling me your autistic.”
Tallulah Found Out She Was Autistic This Past Summer
When one Instagram user enquired as to whether Willis had been diagnosed as a child, she explained, “Actually this is the first time I’ve ever publicly shared my diagnosis. Found out this summer and it’s changed my life.”
Tallulah’s older sister Scout Willis, 32, informed the uninitiated that her sibling was “stimming.” (The act of ‘stimming’ refers to self-stimulatory behaviors, like repetitive movements, fidgeting, or bouncing/jumping.)
Tallulah replied, “Dude the ear curl. I wish we had better audio.”
Autism is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communicational, or behavioral changes in oneself. The disorder has often been referred to as a spectrum, meaning that autism can manifest itself differently in individuals. For example, some autistic people are non-verbal, whereas others struggle more so with hyperactivity.
Bruce Willis’ Struggle With Dementia
His daughter’s diagnosis comes at a trying time for the Die Hard actor as he fights an ongoing battle with frontotemporal dementia. Willis first announced his diagnosis with aphasia in 2022, then stated a more specific diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia in Feb. 2023.
Despite Bruce’s health concerns, his family—also consisting of Tallulah’s older sister Rumer, 35, Bruce’s wife Emma Heming Willis, and their daughters Mabel, 11, and Evelyn, 9—have remained transparent throughout the entire process.
“There is grief and sadness,” Emma shared to E! News. “There is all of that. But you start a new chapter and that chapter is filled. It’s filled with love. It’s filled with connection. It’s filled with joy. It’s filled with happiness. That’s where we are.”
But that’s not to say the family isn’t in high spirits. Demi Moore captioned a Feb. 3 post to honor Tallulah: “Showering our @buuski with love today on her 30th birthday.”