After being diagnosed with aphasia, a cogitive illness that limits one’s capacity to communicate, Bruce Willis has decided to retire from acting. Willis’ family announced the news on Instagram on Wednesday.
“To Bruce’s incredible supporters,” the statement begins, “as a family, we wanted to convey that our darling Bruce has been facing some health concerns and was recently diagnosed with aphasia, which is affecting his cognitive ability.” “As a result of this, and after considerable thought, Bruce has decided to leave a career that has meant so much to him.”
The actor is 67 years old.
“Aphasia is a disorder that robs you of your ability to communicate,” according to the Mayo Clinic. It can impair your ability to communicate, write, and comprehend both verbal and written language.” A stroke is the most common cause, but it can also be caused by a head injury, a tumor, an infection, or a degenerative condition.
Willis’ family has not stated what caused the actor’s illness or what his prognosis is. “This is a particularly difficult moment for our family, and we are deeply grateful for your continuous love, sympathy, and support,” they wrote in a statement. “We’re going through this as a strong family unit, and we wanted to invite his followers in because we know how much he means to you as well as he does to us.”
“As Bruce often says, ‘Live it up,’ and together we aim to do just that,” the email concludes with a message of optimism and love from Willis’ family. Emma, Demi, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, and Evelyn, with love.”
Willis rose to fame on ABC’s “Moonlighting” before making the leap to movie stardom with 1988’s “Die Hard,” which was followed by memorable performances in films such as “Pulp Fiction,” “The Sixth Sense,” and “12 Monkeys.”
Willis’ career has recently shifted toward more direct-to-video projects, while he still finds time to appear in notable theatrical releases like 2019’s “Glass,” in which he reprises his role from M. Night Shyamalan’s 2000 thriller “Unbreakable.”