22 July 2023 , 14:38
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Emma Heming Willis has said that the late Tony Bennett was a reminder that those with "cognitive challenges" should be given the chance to flourish rather than be dismissed.
The model, 45 - whose husband Bruce Willis, 68, is himself said to have experienced issues with his cognitive abilities in recent years - paid tribute to Tony following his death.
It was announced yesterday that the acclaimed singer had passed away, aged 96, with the cause of death yet to be disclosed. The news prompted an outpouring of tributes.
This included from Emma, who wrote about having known Tony and applauded him for having continued to bring "joy" to fans after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
Emma Heming Willis (centre right) and her husband Bruce Willis (right) have spent time with Tony Bennett (centre left) and his wife Susan Benedetto (left) in the past (Getty Images North America)Alongside a series of photos that showed Tony with actor Bruce, Emma wrote in a caption on Instagram yesterday: "We are saddened to hear of Mr Bennett's passing.
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"I will personally always remember him for his kind, graceful and gentle demeanour. An evening spent with Tony and Susan was the best NY date night once could ever ask for.
"And his talent, boy his talent - we stand in awe and admiration. I especially applaud the final chapter of his career, as he continued to dazzle and elicit nothing but joy and excitement performing selflessly despite his Alzheimer's diagnosis.
"It was a beautiful reminder that we should never allow society to dictate or dismiss anyone because of their cognitive challenges but instead provide the room for them to flourish."
It was announced in 2021 that Tony had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease years earlier in 2016, with him having continued to perform in the interim. He later retired in 2021 months after the diagnosis was made public.
Emma continued: "When he hit the stage, he shined and everyone around him beamed! Thank you to Mr Bennett and his family for shining a bright light on this disease. It has and will forever be so meaningful and impactful to me. As Mr Bennett said, 'Life is a gift, even with Alzheimer's'."
Emma paid tribute to Tony yesterday following the news that he had died (Getty Images)It was announced last year that Emma's husband Bruce - who's best known for his role in the Die Hard film series - would be stepping away from acting due to his own health.
His family issued a statement in which they said that he'd been diagnosed with the medical condition aphasia, with them adding that it was "impacting his cognitive abilities".
An update was provided in February this year, in which it was announced that Bruce's condition had "progressed" and that he had since been diagnosed with dementia.
It was said that he'd been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia - known as FTD - and Emma has continued to raise awareness around the condition since then.