Tallulah Willis, with an unflinching honesty, delves into the transformative moment when she was diagnosed with autism at the relatively late age of 29. Gracefully stopping by NBC's TODAY show on Wednesday, the entrepreneur and artist unveiled her journey of self-discovery, sharing how the revelation brought clarity to her life. "For years, I wandered in the fog of misdiagnosis, only to find my true compass at 29," she confided to hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie. "This is a common narrative, especially among adult women. It's all still fresh for me, and it's been within the past year that I've embraced the vocabulary and found my rhythm. Being highly functional, my battles lie more in the realm of sensory perception – an acute sensitivity to the world, rather than the typical communication challenges often associated with autism."
Willis, who bravely disclosed her diagnosis in March, recalled the summer when the truth dawned on her and the subsequent struggle to embrace it publicly. Asked about her initial emotions upon this revelation, she painted a vivid picture of a rollercoaster of feelings. "It was a cathartic blend of emotions," she shared. "To be candid, I had harbored self-loathing, believing I was flawed, broken. But learning that those very traits I deemed maladaptive or excessive were simply part of who I am – imperfections that merely demand additional tools to navigate – brought a profound sense of relief."
As the youngest offspring of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, whose own health journey has been a testament to resilience, Tallulah has been an open book about her father's struggle with aphasia in 2022, which escalated into frontotemporal dementia in 2023. She has shed light on their family's resilience in coping with this adversity, previously penning a heartfelt essay in Vogue, acknowledging her premonition of his illness long before the official diagnosis. During her TODAY appearance, Tallulah painted a poignant portrait of her father's current state, emphasizing his stability amidst challenges.
"Days may be punctuated by pain, but they are also imbued with immeasurable love," she mused. "This journey has etched into me the importance of cherishing every moment. I honestly believe we would be the best of friends. I sense a deep pride in him for who I've become."
