Tallulah Willis is addressing criticism that she shouldn’t be sharing photos of her father, Bruce Willis, as he copes with frontotemporal dementia.
Tallulah, 31, had posted heartwarming snaps of Bruce, 70, via Instagram on Sunday, June 22, writing, “Sunday funday at Grams ! Grateful.”
The photos showed Tallulah and Bruce embracing and smiling, and drew many positive comments — and some negative ones, too.
“I don’t think you should expose your dad to the public! He is vulnerable !” a fan remarked Monday, scolding, “And some things should be kept private! You don’t have his permission to post it!”
Tallulah Willis Shares ‘Sunday Funday’ Photos With Dad Bruce Willis Amid Health Battle: ‘Grateful’
In response, Tallulah wrote, “Hi. I hear that. As a family we use our discretion when posting. Today was a great day filled with smiles.”
She explained: “I made the judgment call to show that to the world, because I know what he means to everyone.”
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A number of commenters rushed to Tallulah’s defense.
“This is a loving picture,” one woman wrote, referencing the first image in the series, of Bruce holding his daughter’s hand. “There should be no criticism of her posting this picture. Bruce and his daughter are raising awareness, so this can be cured someday.”
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Bruce shares Tallulah and daughters Rumer, 36, and Scout, 33, with his ex-wife, Demi Moore. The actor is also dad to Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11, whom he shares with wife Emma Heming Willis.
The family has been very candid on social media about Bruce’s health battle over the past few years. They first announced in March 2022 that the actor was diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder that causes language comprehension and speaking impairments. One year later, they revealed that his condition had progressed to frontotemporal dementia, which can “cause deterioration in behavior, personality and/or difficulty with producing or comprehending language,” according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
On Father’s Day, Rumer reflected on how much life has changed since Bruce’s diagnosis.
“Today is hard, I feel a deep ache in my chest to talk to you and tell you everything I’m doing and what’s going on in my life,” she wrote via Instagram along with photos of her and her dad. “To hug you and ask you about life and your stories and struggles and successes.”
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Rumer continued, “I wish I asked you more questions while you could still tell me about it all. But I know you wouldn’t want me to be sad today so I’ll try to just be grateful reminding myself how lucky I am that you’re my dad and that you’re still with me and I can still hold you and hug you and kiss your cheek and rub your head I can tell you stories.”
