When it comes to raising daughters, Bruce Willis has a sixth sense. After his eldest daughter, Rumer Willis, gave birth to a baby girl of her own, Louetta Isley Thomas Willis, the new grandfather and the now-13-month-old quickly formed an unbreakable bond. “Lou is just starting to walk a little bit and she was walking over to [Bruce] and it was so sweet,” Rumer told Today’s Hoda Kotb on May 29. “It’s so nice because I feel like my dad is just, he’s a girl dad through and through. It almost unlocks that kind of little kid, girl dad thing. He’s so sweet with her.”
Heartwarming Moments for Rumer and Father-Grandfather Bruce Willis
Rumer, who shares her daughter with partner Derek Richard Thomas, posted a heartwarming photo of Bruce Willis holding the toddler last month as part of a first birthday tribute to her little one. It marked a rare glimpse at the Die Hard actor, who stepped away from acting in 2022 and has been battling frontotemporal dementia.
Grandparent Magic
Seeing her mom Demi Moore and dad, Bruce Willis—who also share daughters Scout Willis, 32, and Tallulah Willis, 30—become grandparents has been a magical experience for Rumer. “Honestly, seeing them with her, it just, it almost unlocks all of these childhood memories because being a grandparent, I think, is the best. They have all of the love and joy without any of the responsibilities,” Rumer said about her parents’ relationship with Lou. “They get to just spoil her.”
Blended Family Love
That blended family spoiling her also includes Bruce’s daughters Mabel Willis, 12, and Evelyn Willis, 10, whom he shares with wife Emma Heming Willis. In fact, Emma shared a heartfelt message alongside a peek at the full family gathering to celebrate Rumer’s daughter. “Family and friends gathered to celebrate sweet Louetta’s first birthday,” she wrote on Instagram. “What a blessing she is and to see @rumerwillis blossom into motherhood so effortlessly has truly done something to my heart.”
Celebrating Bruce
“Oh Daddio, to be loved by you is such a gift,” Rumer Willis wrote in an Instagram tribute to her father Bruce Willis in March 2024. “You are the funniest, most tender, charming, out of this world silly talented and magical papa. Looking through these photos this morning I am just filled with the deepest gratitude that we chose to spend this life together. I am your first baby and man sometimes I wish I could be tiny enough to just cozy up on your chest again and laugh and cuddle you.”
A Daughter’s Deep Love
She continued, “I love you so deep in my bones I don’t know how my muscles hold them. You are the greatest papa I could ever hope for. Thank you for your generosity, your silliness and heart. Lou loves you so big. Happy Birthday Daddio.”
Bruce Willis’ Family Moments
“Love is a beautiful thing,” the actor’s wife Emma Heming Willis wrote on Instagram, almost exactly one year after his family announced his frontotemporal dementia diagnosis. “Wishing you all a Happy Valentine’s Day.”
Bruce Willis’ family moments over the years have shown the depth of his love and commitment to his daughters. As he continues to battle his health issues, the bond he shares with his family, especially with his granddaughter Louetta, remains a poignant and beautiful testament to his role as a father and grandfather.