Bruce Willis appears somber in rare outing after thanking LA fires first responders as he battles dementia

Bruce Willis was seen during a rare outing on a Thursday drive through Los Angeles, as he continues to bravely navigate his battle with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). 

The 69-year-old Die Hard star was seen riding in the passenger seat of a black vehicle, cruising through Studio City. 

Sporting a New York Yankees cap and a black jacket, the action icon appeared a bit somber during the daytime outing.

The sighting comes just a day after Willis was filmed warmly greeting LAPD officers in a clip shared by his wife, Emma Heming, 46. 

In the footage, Bruce was seen shaking hands with first responders tackling the devastating LA fires.

It also follows a touching moment shared with his daughter Scout Willis in a heartwarming holiday family video.

Clad in a cozy cardigan sweater and navy pants, the Moonlighting alumnus wrapped his arms around Scout as they stood together in a stunning garden.

Scout also posted snapshots of holiday celebrations featuring her mom Demi Moore, sister Tallulah Willis and friends.

Willis is a proud dad to five daughters Rumer, 36; Scout, 32; and Tallulah, 30, with his ex-wife Moore, 61, as well as Mabel Ray, 12; and Evelyn, 10, with his wife Emma Heming Willis, 46. 

Demi, who was married to Bruce from 1987 to 2000, recently shared an emotional update on his health.

She confirmed the Die Hard star was 'in a very stable place at the moment'  in an interview with CNN.

'I’ve shared this before, but I really mean this so sincerely. It’s so important for anybody who’s dealing with this to really meet them where they’re at, and from that place, there is such love and joy,' she added.

While admitting the journey has been 'very difficult,' Demi also reflected on its unexpected lessons: 'There is great loss, but there is also great beauty and gifts that can come from it.'

Willis’ family first revealed his FTD diagnosis in February 2023, following his retirement from acting due to aphasia, a brain disorder that affects speech and language comprehension. 

Since then, the Hollywood icon has been showered with love and unwavering support from his family.

Last month, Emma opened up about their journey, emphasizing that she doesn’t 'shield' their young daughters from the reality of Bruce’s condition.  

During an interview with Town & Country Magazine, Heming explained, 'This disease is misdiagnosed, it's missed, it's misunderstood.

'So finally getting to a diagnosis was key so that I could learn what frontotemporal dementia is and I could educate our children,' she admitted.

Emma added, 'I've never tried to sugarcoat anything for them. They've grown up with Bruce declining over the years. I'm not trying to shield them from it.' 

'What I learned from our therapist was that if children ask questions, they're ready to know the answer. If we could see that Bruce was struggling, I would address it with the kids so they could understand, but this disease is chronic, progressive and terminal.'  

Heming told the outlet that their children don't tend 'to speak about the terminal side of this with them, nor have they asked.' 

However, she expressed that Mabel and Evelyn 'know that Daddy's not going to get better.'