Rumer Willis Gives Update on Dad Bruce, Shares What She Learned From Him and Mom Demi Moore
Rumer Willis and her family have been graciously keeping fans updated on the health of their A-list actor dad, Bruce, since 2022 when the actress — along with her two sisters, Tallulah and Scout, their famous mom, Demi Moore, and Bruce’s current wife, Emma Heming — revealed that the Die Hard actor, 69, had been diagnosed with aphasia. (In 2023, they announced the disease had progressed to frontotemporal dementia.) “My dad is so beloved, that’s been so evident,” Rumer, 35, exclusively told In Touch’s Lindsay Hoffman at the premiere of her new comedy, My Divorce Party, at the 24th annual Beverly Hills Film Festival in LA on May 1. “In sharing our experience, if that can have an effect and bring any of sort of hope or comfort to someone else, that to me is everything.” Here, the mom to 13-month-old Louetta (dad is Rumer’s partner, musician Derek Richard Thomas) talks about Bruce, motherhood and body positivity.
How’s your dad doing?
Good, really good.
What’s been the greatest lesson you’ve learned from your parents?
They cultivated a level of silliness and goofiness and not taking yourself too seriously. They allowed us the space to be expressive, whether it was through our clothing or with weird dances or silliness. When you grow up as a nepo baby, it’s like you have to act a certain way. I appreciate that we’re left of center as a family.
Did they give you show business advice?
My parents weren’t like, “Here’s advice on being an actor. This is what you should do.” I learned by watching them. One of the biggest things is to treat everyone with the same amount of respect, whether they’re in front of the camera or behind the camera on the littlest job. It doesn’t matter.
What is Demi like as a grandma?
Grandmas inherently are different from how they are as mothers, because it’s all of the joy without any of the responsibility. There’s such sweetness. When [Louetta] hears the little ring of FaceTime, she’ll try to grab the phone, and her face lights up in this huge megawatt smile.
Is your parenting style different?
We’re in such a different time. My mom will say, “You should do this with her.” And I’m like, “Actually, based on what I’ve been reading, you don’t do that anymore.” There’s more information now. There’s an interesting separation that occurs as you are discovering your own path as a mother. There are things I take from her, but there’s also stuff I want to discover myself.
What’s your best parenting tip?
Just to see who your child is and to trust yourself. As parents, you want to give your kids whatever you didn’t have, but I’m learning she might not need that, because she’s her own person.
What are the hardest and most rewarding parts of motherhood so far?
I don’t think I’ve gotten back to the deep sleep zone, so I’m a little tired. But I’m very lucky. [She’s] the most amazing kid. She’s so happy and smiley and joyful all the time.
You posted that you are “leaning in” to your “mama curves.” How does that feel?
Every other time in my life when I’ve been in a bikini, I’m like, “Oh, man, maybe I should try to make it a little tighter here.” But I was like, “Damn, this is hot!” Being postpartum and breastfeeding has given me a freedom to allow my body to do whatever it’s going to do.
