Not only are Bruce Willis’ family members and friends preparing for a sad goodbye as the actor battles frontotemporal dementia, but they are “extremely anxious” about his weight loss and decreased appetite. 

“He doesn’t express hunger much,” an insider tells In Touch exclusively about the iconic actor’s decline. “According to family members, the challenge at home is making sure that he’s getting enough to eat, that he’s not skipping mealtime, and that his diet is filled with foods that have the chance to improve his health instead of subtract from it. This is a sad situation that should be familiar to anybody who is dealing with a close family member with dementia or Alzheimer’s.” 

The alarming update of Bruce’s condition comes amid news that his disease has “progressed quickly,” and that wife Emma Heming, Bruce’s five daughters and ex-wife Demi Moore are doing everything they can to spend time with him and keep him comfortable. Bruce – who will turn 69 on March 19 – is already living life in a deteriorated state. 

“He’s not totally verbal; he used to be a voracious reader — he didn’t want anyone to know that — and he’s not reading now,” the action film star’s good friend Glenn Gordon Caron revealed about his condition in October 2023, as he tries to see Bruce at least once a month. “All those language skills are no longer available to him.” The insider further tells In Touch that his acuity has worsened since then, adding, “He can’t communicate anymore, and he has difficulty recognizing people.”

If anyone in his life is going the extra mile, it’s Emma, 45, who spends her time making sure Bruce is as cared for as possible. 

“She continues to be the best person on the planet to look after Bruce, protecting him from the everyday hazards that can be dangerous for somebody with his illness,” the source tells In Touch, additionally noting that this time in their lives together has been incredibly tough for the model. That said, however, she still spends her time raising awareness for dementia and makes a point to regularly speak about the importance of mental health for primary caretakers. 

As his weight and decreased appetite increasingly become signs of a slope downward, Bruce’s family is trying to be brave. 

“Everybody’s staying positive about Bruce’s future and hopeful that he finds some kind of comfortable plateau or even, God willing, shows signs of improvement,” says the insider. No matter what, his family members are dedicated to spending as much time with him as they can. 

“They know being in the presence of his family seems to bring him a lot of comfort, so that is what they focus on,” the source says. “No matter how much time Bruce has left, they want him to be surrounded by love and happiness.”