Bruce Willis, the 67-year old actor known for his action roles in classic movies such as Die Hard and his seeming mastery of a blended family with ex-wife Demi Moore is “stepping away” from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia. His family shared the news on Instagram Wednesday, writing Willis’ recent diagnosis was “impairing his cognitive abilities.” The post continued “As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.”
Willis starred opposite Cybill Shepherd in the ABC series Moonlighting and as John McClane in the 1988 action movie Die Hard. Over four decades, his movies grossed over $5 billion worldwide. He’s been nominated for five Golden Globes (he brought one home for his role in Moonlighting) and three Emmys (winning one for Moonlighting and another for his guest role on Friends).
Dad to five daughters, Willis and ex-wife Demi Moore share Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah. He and current wife, Emma Heming Willis, share daughters Mabel and Evelyn. The blended family is frequently photographed together and appear at events alongside one another, and Moore posted last year on International Women’s Day about Heming Willis “@emmahemingwillis: I #SeeHer as family who I am honored to call a friend” alongside a photo of Heming Willis with her daughters.
According to Mayo Clinic, aphasia “is a condition that robs you of the ability to communicate. It can affect your ability to speak, write and understand language, both verbal and written.” The group adds that the condition “typically occurs suddenly after a stroke or a head injury. But it can also come on gradually from a slow-growing brain tumor or a disease that causes progressive, permanent damage (degenerative).”
Treatment for aphasia—once the cause has been addressed—”is speech and language therapy. The person with aphasia relearns and practices language skills and learns to use other ways to communicate. Family members often participate in the process, helping the person communicate.”
In line with these guidelines, his family added to their announcement post “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, and wanted to bring his fans in 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.”
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