Overview
- On Monday, August 24, 2026, Rumer Willis announced a partnership with Function and said an ApoE gene test showed she has an average risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
- She described the testing process as “terrifying” but empowering and said the result helped her cope emotionally as she cares for her father, adding “I miss my dad.”
- Medical experts note that ApoE tests measure variants tied to Alzheimer’s risk and do not diagnose or predict frontotemporal dementia, which is a different, rarer type of dementia.
- The Willis family has kept Bruce Willis’s FTD publicly visible through selective appearances and statements, and Rumer’s recent life changes include a move to Nashville and joint custody of her three-year-old daughter.
- Rumer and clinicians say genetic information can help shape conversations with health providers, inform care and family planning, and should be paired with genetic counseling because results have limits.