Bruce Willis' wife Emma Heming launches new project inspired by husband's battle with dementia

Emma Heming Willis is launching a charity called the Emma & Bruce Willis Fund to "help deepen understanding of FTD and ensure families facing it feel seen, supported, and less alone."

Key Points

• The charity's goals are to raise awareness, funding promising research and accelerating discovery, and supporting caregivers.
  

• The actor's family announced that he was diagnosed with aphasia in 2022, and then frontotemporal dementia the following year.

Emma Heming Willis is dedicating her new project to husbandBruce Willis.

On Thursday, March 12 atthe Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration's Hope Rising Benefit in New York, Emma announced the charity, calledThe Emma & Bruce Willis Fund, in her acceptance speech for the Susan Newhouse & Si Newhouse Award of Hope.

"This journey has opened my eyes to the realities so many families face when a loved one is living with frontotemporal dementia," Emma said, perPEOPLE. "I believe deeply in the importance of supporting research while also showing up for the caregivers who carry so much every day."

The continued, "Through this fund, my hope is to help deepen understanding of FTD and ensure families facing it feel seen, supported, and less alone. Bruce has always led with generosity and heart, and I know he would be proud to see this effort helping families facing this disease."

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In another snippet from Emma's speech shared on her Instagram Stories, Emma expressed her thanks for her recognition. "You might be honoring Bruce and me tonight, but the gratitude goes to you," she said.

She also posted about the charity on Instagram, sharing a picture of her and theDie Hardstar. "Our family's journey with frontotemporal dementia has opened my eyes to what so many families experience when someone they love is living with this disease," she wrote. "The uncertainty, the challenges, and the incredible strength of the caregivers who show up every day."

According to the charity's website, its three goals are to raise awareness, funding promising research and accelerating discovery, and supporting caregivers.

Bruce's family announced thathe was diagnosed with aphasiain March 2022 and would be stepping away from acting.

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"We wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities," his daughter Rumer shared on social media on behalf of his family.

"As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him," she added.

"This is a really challenging time for our family, and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion, and support. We are moving through this as a strong family unit," she said, noting that the family was sharing his health update "because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him. As Bruce always says, 'Live it up,' and together we plan to do just that."

The following February, his family announced that hisdiagnosis had progressed to frontotemporal dementia, while thanking fans for their "outpouring of love and compassion for Bruce."

They added: "Your generosity of spirit has been overwhelming, and we are tremendously grateful for it. For your kindness, and because we know you love Bruce as much as we do, we wanted to give you an update."

Bruce's family has been open about his health journey, giving updates about the actor. In January, Emma said during an interview on theConversations With Campodcastthat Bruce doesn't know he has dementia, while also revealing that he has another condition called anosognosia.

"There's this term — this neurological condition that comes with FTD and other types of dementia — called anosognosia, where your brain can't identify what's happening to it," Emma said. "People think this might be denial, they don't want to go to the doctor because they're like, 'I'm fine' — this is where the anosognosia comes into play. It's not denial, it's just that their brain is changing. This is a part of the disease."

She continued, "He never connected the dots that he had this disease, and I'm really happy about that. I'm happy he doesn't know about it."

The couple celebrated their anniversary in December, with Emma reflecting on when they made their relationship "official."

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byAlex Forten

in

March 13, 2026

Bruce Willis' wife Emma Heming launches new project inspired by husband's battle with dementia

Emma Heming Willis is launching a charity called the Emma & Bruce Willis Fund to "help deepen understanding of F...

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Doja Cat reveals BPD diagnosis while defending Chappell Roan: 'Let her have an attitude'

Doja Catopened up about her recent mental health struggles, including a BPD diagnosis, in a newTikTokresponding toChappell Roan's recent dust-up with paparazzi in Paris.

The "Need to Know" rapper shared that she will often "pretend to be happy" in order to keep appearances. However, she said this effort has caught up with her.

"I'm now struggling with BPD," she revealed. "I don't know how long I've been. I mean, probably forever. It's an agonizing condition."

BPD typically refers to borderline personality disorder, which is characterized by mood swings, impulsiveness, abandonment fears, unstable relationships, and issues with self-image, according to theMayo Clinic. Doja Cat said she has been in therapy "for years" but that her BPD treatment would take eight years.

While Doja Cat said she was not extending her diagnosis to Chappell Roan, she said that the "Hot to Go!" singer's boldness in the face of paparazzi made her want to be more honest. Roan had pushed back against paps during Paris Fashion Week, filming them as they were photographing her. "These are all the people that are completely disregarding all of my boundaries," Roan said in the video.

"I love that she can be uncomfortable, comfortably, in front of people, and protect herself and be honest," Doja Cat said of Roan. "I had to learn how to be honest. I had to learn how to be honest with myself. I lied to myself for years, for most of my life.... I love that she can do that without hurting people. She hasn't hurt one person by being herself."

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Entertainment Weeklyreached out to representatives for Roan and Doja Cat for comment.

Not everyone has been as complimentary about Roan's interaction with the photographers.Boy Georgegave his self-proclaimed "probably not helpful" thoughts in asocial media poston Tuesday.

"The trick is to own your fame," he wrote. "Yes, it's annoying at times but so is being ignored and told [you're] a 'has-been.' Life is always now and I think Chappell looks great but cheer up girl. The world is at your feet stop kicking it! It takes so much more time to say no to a picture or a signature. Boundaries are boring. Break them with the magic of kindness!"

Doja Cat had a different message: "f--k the paparazzi." She further explained that sometimes these tense interactions can make it look like an artist is being a diva toward fans. She said pop stars often deal with "hustlers" that hound them for signatures and photos that they later sell.

"These artists aren't just ignoring people because they're full of themselves, and Chappell Roan is not hurting anybody," she concluded. "So we can put that s--t to bed? Let her have an attitude, because I would love to have one as well, and I f---ing will, hopefully in the future."

Watch Doja Cat's video above.

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byAlex Forten

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March 13, 2026

Doja Cat reveals BPD diagnosis while defending Chappell Roan: 'Let her have an attitude'

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Steven Spielberg reveals his next film is a Western with 'no stereotypes'

Steven Spielbergis saddling up for a trip to the Wild West.

TheJurassic Parkfilmmaker discussed his body of work in a conversation withThe Big Picture's Sean Fennessey at SXSW in Austin on Friday. Fennessey asked Spielberg if he was at liberty to share any information about his next film.

"Well, I'm developing a Western," Spielberg said, prompting thunderous applause. "And it's gonna have horses. There will be guns."

However, theRaiders of the Lost Arkdirector noted that his Western will try to avoid the conventions — and baggage — of the genre's past. "But there'll be no tropes, I can just tell you that," he said. "There are gonna be no stereotypes, no tropes."

Spielberg has expressed his desire to helm a Western for several years. While promotingWest Side Storyin an interview with Yahoo in 2021, the filmmakerreflected on genresthat he hadn't yet tackled in his illustrious directing career.

"I was asked that question over the last 40 years of my career, if not longer, and I always say, 'A musical is the one thing I haven't done.' The thing I neglected to say is the one genre I haven't really tackled yet is the Western," he said. "So who knows? Maybe I'll be putting on spurs someday. Who knows?"

Last year, Spielbergreiteratedthat he has "an appetite for a Western, which I will someday hopefully do" in an interview withTHR. "It's something that's eluded me for all of these decades," he told the outlet.

TheClose Encounters of the Third Kindfilmmaker has repeatedly emphasized his admiration for the Westerns of John Ford, particularlyThe SearchersandStagecoach, which he often revisits before beginning production on his own movies. "He inspires me, and I'm very sensitive to the way he uses his camera to paint his pictures, and the way he frames things," hetold AFI. "I really admireStagecoachbecause, for one thing, it was John Ford's first foray into Monument Valley, so he was starting to use landscape art to help tell his story."

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It's true that Spielberg has never directed a full-blown Western, but he has paid tribute to the genre in multiple instances throughout his filmography. 1989'sIndiana Jones and the Last Crusadeopens with an extended chase sequence aboard a train in the American Southwest that draws significant influence from classic Westerns.

And in his 2022 autobiographical dramaThe Fabelmans, the filmmaker also immortalized a conversation he had with Ford as a young man, wherein the legendaryHow the West Was Wondirector (played by David Lynch) uses cowboy paintings to teach a lesson about the importance of framing to a young Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle, the protagonist inspired by Spielberg's youth). Sammy and his friends also watch Ford'sThe Man Who Shot Liberty Valanceat their local theater earlier in the film.

Spielberg has also produced and executive produced several Western projects including the 1989 time travel sequelBack to the Future Part III, the 1991 animated movieAn American Tail: Fievel Goes West, the 2005 miniseriesInto the West, and the 2011 genre-benderCowboys & Aliens.

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Additionally, one of Spielberg's first home movies from his childhood filmmaking days was a Western, which he's referred to as bothThe Last GunandThe Last Gunfight. Spielberg madethe nine-minute moviewith his classmates to fulfill a merit badge requirement in his Boy Scout troop in Arizona when he was 13 years old.

Spielberg's latest movie,Disclosure Day, stars Josh O'Connor, Emily Blunt, Colman Domingo, Colin Firth, and Wyatt Russell. The film hits theaters on June 12.

Reporting by Tiffany Kelly and Selena Schorken.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

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TSA disruptions set to snarl spring break travel as partial government shutdown continues

Potential travel troubles are looming just as spring breakers get set to take off.

TSA workers missed their full paychecks on Friday due to the ongoing partial government shutdown caused by a standoff between Democrats and Republicans over funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

"You have now agencies of government with employees who aren't going to get paid that perform important national security functions," said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD). "People are starting to travel. They're hitting the airport and the lines are getting longer and longer and longer."

And there's worry those lines could continue to grow longer with TSA agents being absent.

"Some of them have to call out, some of them probably have to take other jobs so they can't meet the regular shifts, which is resulting in bottlenecks at some major airports," said Eric Rosen, Director of Travel Content for The Points Guy.

RELATED NEWS |Spring travel savings hacks, as gas prices and airfares rise

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Unscheduled absences among TSA workers have approximately doubled during the partial shutdown, according to DHS. And more than 300 TSA workers have left the agency during that time.

Some airports like Denver's and Seattle's are asking for donations to support TSA workers.

In Las Vegas, MGM Resorts donated lunch for TSA workers at the airport on Thursday.

"it's a token, a small token of our appreciation for these tsa workers that continue to show up for work," said John Flynn, Senior VP of MGM Resorts. "If people can show up and they have a seamless travel experience, we get more people to the strip, more people in our communities. There's a trickle down effect to the entire economy."

If you are traveling, experts say to give yourself plenty of extra time at the airport.

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Chinese embassy mocks “Shield of the Americas” in AI video

China's Embassy in the US briefly shared an AI-generated video poking fun at US President Donald Trump's Shield of the Americas Summit on Wednesday, days after Trump took the stage at the Florida event to warn about "hostile foreign influence" in Latin America.

The video, published by the Chinese embassy on its X account and produced by the state news agency Xinhua News Agency, is titled "Shield of the Americas, or shackles of the Americas?"

The 18-second animation shows a bald eagle dressed in a suit presiding over a meeting of white doves that appear to represent Latin American countries.

The eagle presses a red button that initially deploys an atomic bomb blast before promising to "keep everyone safe" with a large red, white and blue shield. However, the shield soon turns into a cage that traps the frightened doves, while the Eagle says: "Relax, sometimes security comes with a little control."

By early Friday morning, the video was no longer on the embassy's X account.

CNN contacted the US State Department for comment on the video and is awaiting a response.

The video, released days after a meeting that brought together right-wing and center-right leaders from 12 Latin American countries, seems to question the proposal presented by Trump during the summit: the creation of a "regional military coalition."

Although the summit was mainly presented as a security initiative, Trump also took the opportunity to warn about China's growing presence in the region, as part of a broader plan by his administration to reaffirm the United States' "preeminence" over the Western Hemisphere.

"We will deny non-Hemispheric competitors the ability to position forces or other threatening capabilities, or to own or control strategically vital assets, in our Hemisphere," the administration declared in November 2025 while unveiling the "Trump Corollary" to the centuries-old Monroe Doctrine.

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But while James Monroe ordered Europe to stay away from the Americas, Trump is keen on shooing China away. In his inaugural address in 2025, Trump claimed falsely that China is "operating" the Panama Canal.

In fact, a Hong Kong-based company owned two key terminals on either end of the canal at the time. Last month, Panama's high court ruled the arrangement illegal, a decision Beijing decried as "truly shameful and pathetic."

The ruling notwithstanding, Trump continues to raise the issue in public. At the summit, the president said that the US "will not allow hostile foreign influence to gain a foothold in this hemisphere – that includes the Panama canal."

For decades, Beijing has expanded its commercial, financial, and infrastructure ties in the region.

In recent years, China has become one of the main trading partners for several Latin American economies and has financed large strategic projects.

One of the most recent examples is the "mega-port of Chancay in Peru," inaugurated in 2024 with support from the Chinese shipping giant COSCO Shipping, which significantly reduces maritime transport times between South America and Asia.

Trade growth also reflects this closer relationship. Between January and November 2025, Chinese exports to Latin America increased by 9.3% compared to the same period in 2024, according to China's General Administration of Customs.

Even countries politically close to Washington maintain strong economic ties with China. In Argentina, for example, imports from China exceeded US$16 billion in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 57.1%, despite President Javier Milei being considered one of Trump's staunchest allies in the region.

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Jury finds ex-NY trooper guilty of manslaughter in 2020 chase that killed 11-year-old

KINGSTON, N.Y. (AP) — A former New York state trooper accused of ramming his vehicle into an SUV during a high-speed chase leading to the death of an 11-year-old girl was convicted of manslaughter Friday at his second trial.

Prosecutors say Christopher Baldner, 47, rammed the SUV twice on the New York State Thruway, causing it to lose control and flip over. Eleven-year-old Monica Goods, who was in the SUV, was killed in the December 2020 crash. Baldner's attorneys said the accident occurred after the SUV cut the trooper off as he pulled alongside during the pursuit.

"While nothing can bring Monica back, this verdict is some semblance of justice for her loved ones," state Attorney General Letitia James said in a prepared statement.

The retired trooper, who remained free on bail, faces a maximum of five to 15 years in prison when he is sentenced June 2.

Ajury acquitted Baldner of murderand reckless endangerment charges in November, but they deadlocked on a second-degree manslaughter charge. Judge Bryan Rounds declared a mistrial and a second trial on the lone remaining charge began last month.

Assistant State Attorney General Jennifer Gashi told jurors during Baldner's latest trial that he chose to "recklessly use his patrol car as a weapon" during the chase north of New York City. Defense attorney Anthony Ricco argued it was the driver of the SUV — Monica's father, Tristin Goods — who acted recklessly and caused her death,according to theDaily Freeman.

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Baldner pulled Tristin Goods over for speeding on the highway near Kingston the night of Dec. 22, 2020. Goods, his wife and two daughters were heading north from New York City to visit family.

Baldner and Goods argued, and the trooper pepper-sprayed the inside the vehicle. Goods drove off and Baldner pursued.

Defense attorneys said Goods collided with Baldner's trooper car twice during the pursuit. An accident reconstruction expert for the defense testified that Goods lost control of the SUV when he overcorrected after "a very minor impact,"the newspaper reported.

Charles W. Murphy, president of the Police Benevolent Association of the New York State Troopers, said the union was deeply disappointed by the verdict and that Baldner was "simply following his training when he responded to a rapidly evolving and highly dangerous situation."

"This outcome sends a troubling message to all law enforcement officers who must make split-second decisions to protect the public," Murphy said in a written statement.

Baldner retired in 2022 after almost 20 years with the state police.

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Badgers come back again, rally from 15 down to beat Illini in Big Ten Tournament

CHICAGO (AP) — Trailing by 15 points in the second half, No. 23 Wisconsin looked as if it was ready to get knocked out of the Big Ten Tournament by No. 9 Illinois on Friday.

B10 Illinois Wisconsin Basketball

Then again, comebacks are kind of the Badgers' thing. And they pulled off another big one in the conference quarterfinals.

Nick Boyd scored a career-high 38 points, John Blackwell added 31 andWisconsin rallied to beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime.

"Thankfully it's a 40-minute game, so we have more time," coach Greg Gard said. "I think a lot of it ties into what I've talked about here in terms of how our resilience and toughness and perseverance have grown. Our ability to turn the page within possessions, meaning something doesn't go well, we don't dwell on it. I've said all along they turn the page better than their head coach does at times. That happens from possession to possession, half to half, game to game."

Six times this season, the Badgers have rallied to win after falling behind by 10 or more points. They did it at Michigan, against Ohio State and twice against both Minnesota and Illinois. Both games against the Illini went to overtime.

Last month, they came back from 12 down in the final eight-plus minutes of regulation for a 92-90 win at Illinois. On Friday, they trailed by 15 in both halves, only to come out on top in the end.

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They'll face No. 3 Michigan, which held off Ohio State, in the semifinals on Saturday. But the way this game was going, it didn't look like they would be playing again so soon.

"Just the way we're built," Boyd said. "We could be down 20 and we can still come back. It's the way we're built, how we can shoot and how spread the floor is and just our tempo."

Boyd and Blackwell became the first duo to score 30 or more while shooting at least 50% in a major conference tournament over the past 30 seasons, according toOptaSTATS.

Even so, things weren't looking good for Wisconsin, trailing 60-45 midway through the second half. But rather than flinch, they got back into the game.

They forced overtime after a back-and-forth final few minutes of regulation. They led by seven with 14 seconds to go in overtime and hung on when Keaton Wagler's 3 for Illinois at the buzzer hit the rim.

"It's been a joy to watch them come together, the chemistry, the connectivity," Gard said. "It just took us time because it's a relatively new group. Seven of the top eight or nine are new to our program." ___

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Badgers come back again, rally from 15 down to beat Illini in Big Ten Tournament

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