Bruce Willis' daughter Tallulah shares sweet unseen photo from three years ago amid her father's devastating battle with aphasia and dementia

Bruce Willis' daughter Tallulah has shared a previously unseen photograph of herself and her father in an affectionate moment to her Instagram page.

The 32-year-old shared the 'special image' of her father with his hands resting on top of hers, which she revealed had been taken three years ago.

The photograph was posted by Tallulah after it was reported Bruce 'has declined a lot mentally' and is 'living in his own world', according to a source who told the Daily Mail that the Hollywood legend is unaware of his own mental decline.

Bruce was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a degenerative and incurable brain disease that affects language, behaviour and personality in 2023.

The year before, Bruce had been diagnosed with aphasia, a language disorder that affects your ability to speak and understand what others say. 

Tallulah revealed the image had been taken by her now husband, musician Justin Acee, who she married earlier this year, soon after they began dating.

The writer and actress wrote in the caption: 'A special 2023 photo, taken on a camera my mom bought me in 2015, by the man I married in 2026.'

A source recently told us: 'He knows his life is different, but he doesn't think it is that different. He doesn't talk about it or even complain much. He senses something is off, but he doesn't have a full grasp of it.'

His personality has changed quite a bit amid his health struggles, the source claimed. He is now 'Mr Mellow', becoming more 'at ease' than he was in his younger years 'when he had a lot of energy and talked a ton'.

'Sometimes he looks like a baby who is staring at an object with curiosity, just taking it in,' the source said. 'But if you look at him, he appears like a healthy middle-aged man.'

Even before the family had answers from doctors, they noticed the man who was once the life of the party no longer seemed interested in engaging with his five daughters – his two young girls with Emma Heming Willis, and three adult children from his 13-year marriage with ex-wife, actress Demi Moore – during their once conversation-filled weekly family dinners.

Doctors eventually gave a more specific diagnosis: primary progressive aphasia, a type of FTD that causes a gradual decline in the areas of the brain linked to personality and language abilities and has a life expectancy of between eight and 12 years after the start of symptoms.

In February 2023, three months after Bruce's diagnosis, the actor's family thanked fans for their support as he dealt with the debilitating disease that affects an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 people in the US.

'Your continued compassion, understanding, and respect will enable us to help Bruce live as full a life as possible,' the family wrote.

But there were many in the Unbreakable star's professional orbit who sensed something had been off with him long before his diagnosis became known to the public.

When it was announced the previous year that Bruce was stepping away from acting after four decades in the business, nearly two dozen former coworkers of the one-time action star told the Los Angeles Times that he had been exhibiting serious signs of mental decline for years.

Despite making 25 films between 2020 and 2023, many of which were direct-to-video releases, sources recalled that Bruce was allegedly often unable to remember dialogue and travelled with an actor who fed him his lines through an earpiece.

Bruce's wife Emma had the support of his ex Demi, who was married to Willis from 1987 to 2000, and her adult stepdaughters: Rumer, 38, Scout, 35 and Tallulah, 32.

Since their divorce, Demi and Emma have had an amicable co-parenting relationship and friendship. 'It's a funny thing to say,' the Ghost star wrote in her 2019 memoir Inside Out. 'But I'm very proud of our divorce.'

The split 'wasn't easy at first', she noted. 'But we managed to move the heart of our relationship, the heart of what created our family, into something new that gave the girls a loving, supportive environment with both parents.'

Following his diagnosis, Demi stepped up to support her ex-husband amid his ongoing health battle, often visiting with him and providing updates for fans.

In 2024, Demi said there was a 'great beauty' in meeting Bruce where he is now.

'When you're holding on to what was, I think it's a losing game,' she said while appearing at that year's Hamptons International Film Festival. She was focused on 'being able to share whatever we have, for however long we have it'.

Last year, Emma revealed that her husband was living in a nearby one-story home with round-the-clock care, a decision she said was difficult for everyone but beneficial.

'Ultimately, I could get back to being his wife,' she told The Sunday Times. 'And that's such a gift.'

Now, she is reportedly spending 'a mega fortune' on her husband's care, according to our source, who estimated it costs 'more than $30,000 a month'.

'It's a good thing that he is worth a fortune because insurance doesn't cover much,' the source noted.

Indeed, a source close to the family told the Daily Mail last year that Emma was feeling the pressures of managing her husband's estate, which is estimated to be worth $250million.

'Taking care of Bruce isn't just about keeping up his spirits and making sure he can physically get through the day. It also involves looking after the massive fortune he accrued as an A-list movie star,' the source said then.

Knowing how isolating his disease can be, Emma works hard to make sure her spouse has time to connect with friends and family, according to the insider, who said 'there are people by him all the time that he can interact with.'

'His home is very bright and happy' and there are always 'funny people around him to keep things light', an insider said.

Plus, 'Bruce has family around all the time' who 'visit frequently'.

Tallulah, his youngest daughter with Moore, is a regular visitor. 'She is amazing and really loves her dad,' the source said.