As Bruce Willis lives with frontotemporal dementia, his wife Emma Heming Willis has become an advocate for those supporting loved ones with long-term care needs.
She reflected on the tragic deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife and caregiver Betsy Arakawa in a video shared on Instagram on Monday.
“So this is not something I would normally comment on, but I do really believe that there is some learning in this story,” Heming Willis said of Hackman and Arakawa.
The couple was found deceased in their New Mexico home in late February. Arakawa, 65, died of hantavirus, and days later, Hackman, 95, died of heart disease, the New Mexico medical investigator’s office revealed last week.
Authorities, working to establish a timeline of events, said Hackman had Alzheimer’s disease and may have been unaware of his isolation in the days leading up to his death.
“It’s just made me think of this broader narrative, and that is that caregivers require care as well and that they are essential, and that it is so important that we support them so that they can continue to support their loved one,” she continued.
Heming Willis stated that there is a “common misconception” that caregivers “have everything under control.”
“They’ve got it handled, they’re fine,” she added. “I don’t agree with that. We need to be there for them so they can continue to be there for their loved one.”
She captioned her video, “Caregivers need care too. Period. Full stop. #supportcaregivers.”
Heming Willis speaks from personal experience.
It was announced in 2022 that Willis would be stepping away from his acting career due to cognitive issues. He was later diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a progressive brain condition.
He and Heming Willis married in 2009 and share two daughters, Mabel and Evelyn.
