Tallulah Willis Opens Up About Being A ‘Healing Person In Recovery’ & Receiving Body-Shaming Comments From Fan

May 18, 2023

Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of eating disorders, which may be troubling for some readers.

Bruce Willis is one of the most legendary Hollywood actors of all time. He is most famous for his roles in action films but has also shown to have quite a diverse set of talents, appearing in films and television shows in a variety of genres and even showing off his skills as a singer. On top of that, Bruce is also adored for his amazing qualities as a husband and father.

Bruce had his breakthrough in 1985 with the TV series "Moonlighting.” Some of his most loved performances include in the films “Pulp Fiction,” “Armageddon,” “The Sixth Sense,” and his portrayal of John McClane in the “Die Hard” franchise.

In his private life, Bruce had some ups and downs when it came to finding love. He married two times and is the father of five daughters. Bruce first married actress Demi Moore in 1987, and the two had three daughters together: Rumer Willis, Scout Willis and Tallulah Willis. 

Although the couple was regarded as a Hollywood powerhouse at the time, the marriage was not working out behind closed doors. Bruce and Moore divorced in 2000, but they have remained good friends and great co-parents ever since. In 2009, Bruce married model Emma Heming, and the couple went on to welcome two daughters together: Mabel and Evelyn Penn.

Over the years, several of Bruce’s daughters have embarked on careers in the entertainment industry. However, with the spotlight has come criticism at times. In May 2023, Tallulah opened up about some disheartening body-shaming comments she received from fans online and shared an important message as someone in eating disorder and body dysmorphic disorder recovery.

Together, Bruce and Moore have three daughters: Rumer, Scout and Tallulah. Although their love story didn’t last, they have remained close friends and are still a tight family unit.

The family stepped in to take care of Bruce after he was diagnosed with aphasia in 2022, which made it increasingly difficult for him to act, leading to his retirement from acting in March 2022. He was later diagnosed with dementia. Despite the setback, Bruce, Heming, Moore and all the children have moved forward as a strong family unit.

Over the years, the Willis-Moore-Heming crew has shown that they love spending quality time together, but there’s truly nothing that can top seeing a father and his daughter bonding. Bruce spent some of the year-end holidays in 2022 basking in the love and light of his beautiful family. Photos posted by Moore and their daughters on Instagram showed the entire family hanging out at home as one unit. 

One picture was of Bruce with Tallulah and her dog, Pilaf, as well as Moore, while another photo was of Pilaf with another pet dog. Moore captioned the post uploaded on Dec. 12, 2022, “We are FAMILY!! Getting into the holiday spirit!”

On Jan. 12, 2023, Bruce’s youngest daughter with Moore, Tallulah, posted a series of photos on Instagram, including some fun pictures of her and her father. They hugged each other as Bruce made a goofy face, and Tallulah broke out into an ear-to-ear smile. Tallulah captioned the post, “high drama club ~~ life skills ~~ fingers crossed I eat a veggie this week LMAO.” The pair were dressed in matching gray pants, showing just how close their father-daughter bond goes. 

But over the years, Tallulah has also shared some of her personal struggles with her fans.

In May 2021, she opened up about having body dysmorphic disorder, which is a mental health condition in which a person can’t stop thinking about their perceived flaws in their appearance, which could result in feeling anxious and avoiding social situations.

Tallulah said she “punished” herself for not looking like her mom and instead looking “masculine” like her father. Fortunately, she found her worth and shared, “You need to soothe the wound within your soul before trying to ‘fix’ the outsides.”

Tallulah opened up about what helps her during hard times, such as writing, going for walks while listening to music, and taking time to breathe. She also talked about the “potential triggering imagery” that can occur on social media.

In May 2023, Tallulah openly shared body-shaming comments she received from a fan. The Instagram post showed how the fan had called Tallulah “fat” and “fat again” countless times. Tallulah wrote in the caption:

“I think it’s important to share this, that this happens, that this happens to a healing person in recovery, who has been honest about how very sick she was/is and is working daily to find safety and home within her skin.”

She continued, “Im very thankful I’ve gotten to a place where I don’t become dismantled by strangers words (for the most part 🙃)” Tallulah ended her post with the hashtags “#edsupport” and “#edrecovery.”

Tallulah received a great deal of support for sharing her hardships in recovery. Heming chimed in and said, “I’m so sorry Tallulah. You’ve summoned the mama bears on here who would like to know who this person is.”

Moore also commented, saying, “I am so proud of you! People often can only reflect their own fear. Be you in all your forms and keep shining your gorgeous glorious light!”

What are your thoughts on Tallulah Willis opening up about her recovery? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your loved ones.

If you or anyone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, please visit the National Eating Disorder Association website, where you can call, chat or text with a representative. The association provides free and confidential support for you or your loved ones.