Bruce’s family rally – ‘we are strong, we will live it up with him, just like he says’

Last year we published this story about Action Hero Bruce Willis… now his family have revealed he has frontotemporal dementia. The actor was previously diagnosed with aphasia, which prompted him to retire from acting last year.

Willis, 67, was previously diagnosed with aphasia, which prompted him to retire from acting. “FTD is a cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and can strike anyone,” the family wrote in a statement.

There are two main variants of FTD: primary progressive aphasia, which hampers a patient’s ability to communicate, and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia, which manifests as personality and behavioral changes. “It hits the parts of the brain that make us the most human,” said Dr. Bruce Miller, a professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco.

Last year his family told fans that he has been diagnosed with aphasia, a brain condition that affects his ability to understand language. The Die Hard star will sadly be curtailing his acting career.

The statement read:

‘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’

The NAA followed the family statement with this one, full of support for the acting legend and his family.

The National Aphasia Association was saddened to hear of Bruce Willis’ recent diagnosis of aphasia. As the national organization that represents all individuals living with aphasia and their families, we understand the impact of this diagnosis. 

Aphasia is a disorder that can affect a person’s ability to produce and/or comprehend language. There are many different forms of aphasia. All of them affect a person’s ability to communicate. One type of aphasia, termed Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA), also affects cognitive abilities. 

While we are not aware of Mr. Willis’ specific aphasia diagnosis, we recognize that strong family support and expert professional services have a positive impact on living successfully with aphasia. 

For more information, free resources, and support, visit aphasia.org. 

For media inquiries email: [email protected]. 

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