Bruce Willis' daughter Tallulah Willis is defending his privacy amid ongoing scrutiny of his battle with dementia.
The 32-year-old, the youngest of Willis' three daughters with ex-wife Demi Moore, spoke out in a recent post on her Instagram Stories after a family friend allegedly leaked personal details about the actor's condition to the media, according to TMZ.
In the since-expired post, Tallulah Willis detailed her frustration after reading a news article that described an alleged decline in her father's health.
Bruce Willis retired from Hollywood in 2022 due to an initial aphasia diagnosis, and the following year, the Emmy-winning actor's family revealed that he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, a brain disorder affecting the frontal
and temporal lobes.
"I saw an article describing updates with my dad," Tallulah Willis wrote alongside a childhood photo of the father-daughter pair, per TMZ. "It struck me because the people who love him throughout the world have expressed to me, when I've shared photos, that there should be real, discernible mindfulness on what is posted."
Tallulah Willis did not name the news outlet that published the article, but her comments come days after the Daily Mail posted a story titled "Bruce Willis' heartbreaking decline revealed... as insiders say Hollywood friends have abandoned him while wife spends 'mega fortune' on round-the-clock dementia care."
The Nov. 8 article features several comments about Willis' current health from an unnamed insider, including one claim that the 71-year-old "Die Hard" star at times "looks like a baby who is staring at an object with curiosity, just taking it in."
Tallulah Willis appeared to take aim at those comments in her Instagram post, writing, "So, the 'friend,' 'family member' or source who shared that he 'acts like a baby now?' How is that acceptable? Who are you?"
Willis' daughter concluded: "Stay away from my family."
USA TODAY has reached out to Tallulah Willis' representatives for additional comment.
Tallulah Willis embraces Bruce Willis relationship amid dementia battle
Tallulah Willis' comments come nearly two months after she shared a candid photo of herself spending time with dad Bruce Willis.
The Sept. 28 Instagram post showed Tallulah Willis gently holding her father's head and kissing his forehead as he closed his eyes. "So cute!" she captioned the post.
And the actor's health struggles haven't stopped Willis from being there for the big moments.
The "Moonlighting" alum was by his daughter's side when she married partner Justin Acee on Aug. 8 in Sun Valley, Idaho. A black-and-white photo released by Vogue after the celebration showed Willis smiling with one arm around Tallulah Willis while Acee held his other hand.
Tallulah Willis opened up about navigating her father's dementia diagnosis in a May 2023 essay for Vogue magazine. After a previous battle with anorexia nervosa, Tallulah said she's been able to approach their relationship with a healthier perspective since entering recovery.
"I now have the tools to be present in all facets of my life, and especially in my relationship with my dad," Willis wrote. "I can bring him an energy that's bright and sunny, no matter where I've been. In the past, I was so afraid of being destroyed by sadness, but finally I feel that I can show up and be relied upon.
"I can savor that time, hold my dad's hand and feel that it's wonderful. I know that trials are looming, that this is the beginning of grief, but that whole thing about loving yourself before you can love somebody else — it's real."
Contributing: Sameen Chaudhry, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bruce Willis' daughter Tallulah slams alleged leak about his dementia: 'Stay away'
