Bruce Willis' Daughter Tallulah Diagnosed With Autism At 30 Years Old
Bruce Willis' daughter Tallulah Willis has been diagnosed with autism.
Tallulah, 30, revealed her diagnosis over the weekend by sharing a throwback video of her with her father and writing on Instagram: "tell me your [sic] autistic without telling me your [sic] autistic [face with tears of joy emoji]."
In the clip, a young Tallulah, whom Willis shares with ex Demi Moore, can be seen stroking her dad's head and folding his ear while he's being interviewed on the red carpet.
One follower praised Tallulah as "brave and inspiring" for sharing her diagnosis and asked if she was diagnosed as a child.
Tallulah responded to the user, saying, "Actually, this is the first time I've ever publicly shared my diagnosis."
She added that she was diagnosed with autism last summer, and "it's changed my life."
In another comment, Tallulah called herself "neurospicy."
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is "a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication," according to the Mayo Clinic.
The disorder also includes "limited and repetitive patterns of behavior," it added.
While signs of autism typically present around the ages of 2 and 3, "early screenings don't always catch autism," the Child Mind Institute said.
Tallulah has been open about her health, previously revealing her struggles with anorexia and body dysmorphia as well as her borderline personality disorder (BPD) diagnosis back in May 2023.
In a personal essay for Vogue at the time, Tallulah said she was diagnosed with BPD while undergoing in-patient treatment for anorexia at a facility in Texas.
BPD is an "illness that severely impacts a person's ability to manage their emotions," according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
She also wrote in the essay that she missed the early signs of her dad's dementia diagnosis due to her own health struggles.
But Tallulah said that as she made progress in her treatment, she was able to be present in her relationship with Willis.
"I can bring him an energy that's bright and sunny, no matter where I've been. In the past I was so afraid of being destroyed by sadness, but finally I feel that I can show up and be relied upon," she wrote. "I can savor that time, hold my dad's hand, and feel that it's wonderful."
The "Die Hard" actor retired from acting in March 2022 after he was diagnosed with aphasia.
A little over a year later, his family announced that Willis had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
Earlier this month, Willis' wife Emma Heming shared an update on her husband's condition, saying in a video on Instagram that there is still "deep love" and "connection" between them.
Heming also slammed reports claiming that there is "no more joy" in Willis amid his battle with dementia.
"I need society and whoever's writing these stupid headlines to stop scaring people," she said. "Stop scaring people to think that once they get a diagnosis of some kind of neurocognitive disease that -- that's it. 'It's over. Let's pack it up -- Nothing else to see here. We're done.' No, it's the complete opposite of that."
Heming and Willis share two daughters, Mabel, 11, and Evelyn, 9.
Along with Tallulah, Willis also shares daughters Rumer, 35, and Scout, 32, with Moore.
