Bruce Willis to step away from acting following Aphasia diagnosis
“As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him,” actor’s family says in statement
By Daniel Kreps
Bruce Willis’ family announced on Wednesday that the actor is “stepping away” from acting due to health issues, specifically the neurodegenerative disease aphasia.
“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,” Willis’ family said in a statement shared on daughter Rumer Willis’ Instagram page. “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 continued, “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.”
While the Die Hard actor has continued to star in Hollywood films in recent years — most recently 2019’s ‘Glass’ and ‘Motherless Brooklyn’ — the majority of his on-screen roles have been a parade of cameo appearances in dozens of direct-to-video, Europe-shot action films.
“As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up,’ and together we plan to do just that,” Willis’ family said on Wednesday.