Bruce Willis Expresses Gratitude to First Responders Amid Deadly LA Wildfires

Bruce Willis attends the premiere of Universal Pictures' "Glass" in New York City on Jan. 15, 2019. Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

Retired actor Bruce Willis, known for playing police detective John McClane in the “Die Hard” film series, has expressed gratitude to first responders working amid the devastating Southern California wildfires.

On Thursday, the former action star’s wife, Emma Heming Willis, shared an Instagram Reel showing her husband chatting with several Los Angeles police officers.

In the video, Willis, 69, can be seen shaking hands with one officer and posing for a photo with another.

“Spotting a first responder, Bruce never missed a chance to show his gratitude with a heartfelt handshake and a ’thank you for your service.' Yesterday was no different,” Heming Willis, 46, captioned the video.

Willis has made few public appearances since his family announced that he was stepping away from acting in March 2022 after being diagnosed with aphasia, a language disorder that affects communication.

In February 2023, Willis’s family revealed that his condition had progressed and that he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, or FTD, a rare group of brain diseases that affect the frontal and temporal lobes causing them to shrink, per the Mayo Clinic.

The symptoms of FTD progressively worsen over time, leading to a range of behavioral changes, such as loss of empathy or lack of judgment, as well as language disruptions, including difficulties with writing and speaking.

Some of Heming Willis’s followers took to the comment section to praise her husband’s interaction with first responders, touching on his recent health challenges.

Filmmaker Katie Prentiss commented that Willis was “an amazing human.”

“Nothing can take that from him,” Prentiss said.

Handbag designer Allison Burns Cooper commented, “Always kind and always grateful. Your man is one of a kind!”

Model Nicole Petrie said, “Sending you all so much love and healing for your community.”

Tallulah Willis, one of Willis’s daughters, also commented on the video, “This makes my heart so freaking full.”

One officer, who has worked for the Los Angeles Police Department for 27 years, praised Willis’s work both on and off the screen.

“There are some actors that play the role of a police officer so well that we come to see them as one of our own,” the officer wrote. “Your husband is one of those actors. So wonderful to see him out and among us.”

Another follower said, “This brought tears to my eyes!”

“My dad (who was a retired police officer and who also suffered from FTD) would do the same thing. Even as things progressed, his eyes would light up with familiarity and recognition whenever he saw a person in uniform. Thank you for sharing!”

Beachside homes destroyed in the Palisades Fire along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Calif., on Jan. 16. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Southern California Fires

Multiple wildfires began sweeping across the Los Angeles area starting Jan. 7, fueled by dry conditions and strong Santa Ana winds.

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the two largest fires—the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire—have burned more than 37,000 acres.

The Palisades Fire erupted on the morning of Jan. 7 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles and is currently 39 percent contained. The Eaton Fire broke out near Altadena, just north of Pasadena, later that day. The blaze, which is now 65 percent contained, has destroyed over 2,700 structures.

Authorities have reported 25 fatalities because of the fires, and that number is expected to increase.

In addition to Willis, a number of other celebrities have taken to social media to show their support for first responders.

Actress Selena Gomez and her fiancé, record producer Benny Blanco, assisted wildfire relief efforts by serving meals to emergency workers in Los Angeles.

The couple chronicled their time volunteering via their Instagram Stories, with the former writing on Jan. 16 that she was grateful for emergency personnel, E! News reported.

“Thank u to all the first responders, national guard and firefighters. U guys are superheroes!” Blanco wrote alongside a picture of several firefighters. “We can’t thank u enough,” he shared in a subsequent post.

On Jan. 14, actress Jamie Lee Curtis shared a picture of fire service members on Instagram, writing: “HEROES.”

“This looks like a painting. It is not,” she captioned another picture of firefighters earlier that day.

“These are human beings, standing between a raging wildfire and homes and communities at peril.

“The tireless and painstaking work of firefighters is jaw-dropping and inspiring. The fires started a week ago, and the enormity of the devastation is impossible to grasp and the situation is yet still unfolding.”