March 30 (UPI) — Bruce Willis is stepping away from his acting career after being diagnosed with aphasia.
Willis’ family shared the news Wednesday in a statement on Instagram signed by the actor’s wife Emma Heming, ex-wife Demi Moore, and daughters Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel and Evelyn.
“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,” the family said.
Aphasia is a language disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate. The condition can affect one’s ability to speak, write and understand both verbal and written language, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“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 family said.
“As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that,” they concluded the post.
Willis was married to Moore from 1987 to 2000 and has three daughters, Rumer, 33, Scout, 30, and Tallulah, 28, with the actress. He and Heming married in 2009 and have two daughters, Mabel, 9, and Evelyn, 7.
Willis is known for playing John McClane in the “Die Hard” movie franchise. He has also appeared in the films “Pulp Fiction,” “12 Monkeys,” “The Fifth Element,” “The Sixth Sense” and “Sin City.“
The actor recently starred with Megan Fox in the 2021 film “Midnight in the Switchgrass.”
