The iconic actor Bruce Willis, popular for timeless films such as Die Hard, retired from acting in 2022 due to language disorder aphasia.
Almost a year after the announcement that Willis is stepping away from filmmaking, his family shared the news that the actor’s condition is progressing.
According to the statement, the 67-year-old actor was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. The family explains that despite the painful news, it’s a relief for them to have a clearer diagnosis.
They described this illness as cruel and emphasized that many people have never heard of it before; however, the reality is that it can happen to anyone.
The News of Bruce Willis’s Diagnosis Shook His Family & All Of His Friends & Followers
Last March, the retired actor’s family said that the aphasia had a negative effect on his cognitive capacities. This condition causes the loss of the ability to express speech or to understand it.
Willis’s family said in the statement that the problems with communication were only one of the symptoms of the actor’s frontotemporal dementia.
The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration describes this condition as a group of brain disorders that are a result of the degeneration of the temporal or frontal lobes in the brain that influence language, movement, and behavior.
Aphasia can be one of the symptoms. Frontotemporal degeneration is described as an unavoidable decline of functioning with an average life expectancy being seven to 13 years after the start of the symptoms.
The family explains that there are no treatments available for this illness and it’s a reality they hope to change in the upcoming years. Unfortunately, it can take several years to be properly diagnosed.
The family added that as Bruce’s condition progresses, they hope that any attention from the media will be focused to shine a light on this illness which requires a lot more awareness and continued research.
The family’s statement was shared on the official website of the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration and signed by Willis’s wife Emma Heming Willis, his ex-wife Demi Moore, and his five kids, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, and Evelyn.
An Iconic Hollywood Actor Who Played in Beloved Films
In his 40-year career, Willis earned more than $5bn through his films at the worldwide box office.
Though he was beloved for playing in some all-time favorites like The Sixth Sense and Die Hard, the prolific actor had also played roles in direct-to-video thrillers.
His family says that Bruce is someone who has always discovered joy in his life and helped others do the same.
It means the world to them that he also felt a sense of care and the family is grateful and deeply moved by the love that people have shared for their beloved husband, dad, and friend during these struggling times.
Their continued compassion, respect, and understanding enable them to help Bruce live a full life as much as they can.
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