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Nearly a year after Bruce Willis announced he would retire from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia — a rare brain disorder that affects communication abilities — his family is sharing an update on his health.
In a statement released today from Willis’ ex-wife Demi Moore and daughters Rumor, Scout, and Tallulah Willis, plus his current wife, Emma Heming Willis, and daughters Mabel and Evelyn, Willis’ family delivered some sobering news to his fans.
“As a family, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for the outpouring of love and compassion for Bruce over the past ten months,” they said. “Your generosity of spirit has been overwhelming, and we are tremendously grateful for it.”
Not only did the family reveal that the actor’s “condition has progressed” since they initially informed the public, they shared that he also has a “more specific” diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia, otherwise known as FTD. While untreatable, they described the condition as the “most common form of dementia” for people under 60.
“Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces,” the statement said. “While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis.”
In hopes to bring attention to the disease, which they say “needs far more awareness and research,” they added that Willis has “always believed in using his voice in the world to help others, and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately.”
They continued, “We know in our hearts that — if he could today — he would want to respond by bringing global attention and a connectedness with those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it impacts so many individuals and their families.”
The update closed out by thanking fans for their “continued compassion, understanding, and respect” which will “enable us to help Bruce live as full a life as possible.”
