Bruce Willis ‘Stepping Away’ From Acting After Aphasia Diagnosis
67-year-old actor Bruce Willis is “stepping away” from acting after his aphasia diagnosis. His family released a statement about the action star’s health issues and his future in acting.
Bruce Willis’ family releases statement about his health issues
On March 30, Bruce’s wife of 13 years, Emma Heming Willis, posted an Instagram post on behalf of the entire Willis family regarding Bruce’s health issues. Check out the Instagram post below:
The caption reads, “To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family, we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities.”
Bruce Willis is ‘stepping away’ from acting
The Willis family revealed in their statement, “As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.”
The statement continues, “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.”
The post concludes, “As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that. Love, Emma, Demi, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, & Evelyn”
Bruce, known for his decades-long acting career in Hollywood, frequently plays the lead in major blockbuster action flicks such as Die Hard franchise and Armageddon. The Golden Globe Award and Emmy Award winner is also known for his iconic roles in Pulp Fiction, The Fifth Element, and The Sixth Sense.
What is Bruce Willis’ diagnosis, aphasia?
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, “Aphasia is a language disorder caused by damage in a specific area of the brain that controls language expression and comprehension. Aphasia leaves a person unable to communicate effectively with others.”
Aphasia is usually brought on by stroke, head injury, brain tumor, infection, or dementia. Sometimes treatments such as speech therapy can help recover speech and language function. According to the site, some people with aphasia “recover completely without treatment.”
Bruce isn’t the first actor to be diagnosed with aphasia. Other actors such as Sharon Stone, Emilia Clarke, and Randy Travis have also been diagnosed at one time.
Bruce has quite a few films lined up for a 2022 release despite his condition. Fortress: Sniper’s Eye and The Wrong Place are two action films with Bruce as the lead set to premiere this summer.
