Bruce Willis is trending today and it’s not because of Demi Moore’s 1997 famous role in G.I. Jane, which Chris Rock alluded to in his insensitive “joke” towards Jada Pinkett Smith at the 94th Academy Awards.
67-year-old Die Hard and Pulp Fiction star Bruce Willis is stepping out of the spotlight due to his recent aphasia diagnosis.
The news was shared by his daughter Rumer whom he shares with Demi Moore.
Daughters Scout and Tallulah, Ex-wife Moore and current wife Emma Heming also each shared identical posts with their own accounts in what appears to be a coordinated announcement.
The post 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. As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.
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. Love,
Emma, Demi, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, & Evelyn”
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What is aphasia?
According to aphasia.org, “aphasia is an impairment of language, affecting the production or comprehension of speech and the ability to read or write. Aphasia is always due to injury to the brain-most commonly from a stroke, particularly in older individuals. But brain injuries resulting in aphasia may also arise from head trauma, from brain tumors, or from infections.”
There are 6 types of aphasia: Global aphasia, Broca’s aphasia, Mixed non-fluent aphasia, Wernicke’s aphasia, Anomic aphasia, and Primary Progressive Aphasia. The Instagram announcement did not mention which type Bruce has been diagnosed with nor what has caused his aphasia.
According to the New York Post’s Page 6, Willis was reportedly having cognitive issues on productions dating back to 2020, and was unable to remember his lines before his family stepped in “to take care of him.” At this point, the actor was making a series of mostly B direct to PPV videos such as American Siege, Survive the Game, Cosmic Sin and Hard Kill.
Willis shares three daughters, Rumer, 33, Scout, 30, and Tallulah, 28, with Moore and two daughters, Mabel, 9, and Evelyn, 7, with wife Emma Heming.