Acclaimed actor Bruce Willis is “stepping away” from his career due to a recent diagnosis of aphasia, a language disorder that impacts a person’s ability to communicate, his family said Wednesday.
“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,” his family wrote in a post on his daughter Rumer’s Instagram account. “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,” his family added. “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.”
According to Johns Hopkins University, aphasia is a language disorder that results from damage in the area of the brain that controls language expression and comprehension. The disorder “leaves a person unable to communicate effectively with others,” Johns Hopkins said.
Willis, 67, is best known for his starring role in the “Die Hard” films, though his acting career has spanned decades and included “Pulp Fiction,” “The Sixth Sense,” and the television series “Moonlighting.”
He was married to actress Demi Moore for 13 years before their divorce in 2000, and had three children. He is now married to Emma Heming Willis, with whom he has two children.
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