Bruce Willis' wife, Emma Heming Willis, is sharing her thoughts following the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa.
Police reports determined that Arakawa died before Hackman due to Hantavirus, a rare disease. Hackman appears to have survived her for a few days and likely didn't know of her passing due to his advanced Alzheimer's diagnosis.
Heming Willis is an advocate for caregivers, a role she's taken ever since her husband was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. Earlier this week, she shared her thoughts regarding Hackman and Arakawa's death, emphasizing the importance of caring for caregivers.
"So this is not something I would normally comment on, but I do really believe that there is some learning in this story," said Heming Willis in a video, addressing the camera directly.
"It's just made me think of this broader story, and that is that caregivers need care too. And that they are vital, and that it is so important that we show up for them so that they can continue to show up for their person."
"I think that there's this common misconception that caregivers, they got it figured out," she continued. "They got it covered. They're good. I don't subscribe to that."
She captioned the post with a simple statement. "Caregivers need care too. Period. Full stop."
Details about Heming Willis and Willis' relationship
Emma Heming Willis and Bruce Willis married in 2009. The couple share two daughters. Willis is a father of five girls, sharing three daughters with his ex-wife Demi Moore.
Since Willis' diagnosis, Heming Willis has become a voice for caregivers, discussing her experiences openly and sharing with the world some of the experiences that caregivers go through, which can sometimes be discarded in the face of someone struggling with a debilitating illness.
She's publishing a book on the matter in the near future, titled, "The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path," which will feature her personal experiences alongside interviews with other caregivers and experts.