Hollywood legend Bruce Willis diagnosed with serious illness, forced to retire from acting

Hollywood icon and acting legend Bruce Willis is suffering from a potentially career-ending and certainly life-changing medical diagnosis, news that was widely circulated after family members released an official statement.

Bruce’s daughter with Demi Moore, Rumor Willis, shared a heartfelt and touching message to her nearly one million followers on Instagram, explaining her father’s medical journey:

“To Bruce’s amazing supporters, we wanted to share as a family that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and was recently diagnosed with aphasia which is affecting his cognitive abilities,” the post reads. “As a result, and with much deliberation, Bruce is stepping down from the career that has meant so much to him.”

“This is a truly challenging time for our family and we are so grateful for your continued love, compassion and support. We’re moving through this as a strong family unit and wanted to include his fans because we know how much he means to you, just as you do to him,” the message continued.

“Like Bruce always says, ‘Live it high’ and together we plan to do just that,” it concluded. “Love, Emma, ​​Demi, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel and Evelyn.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, aphasia is “a condition that robs you of the ability to communicate. It can affect your ability to speak, write and understand language, both verbally and in writing” and can often manifest after a head injury or stroke. There could also be more underlying degenerative pathologies, but the end result is devastating news for the actor and his family.

NBC also addressed the unknown origins of Willis’ diagnoses:

“The family has not said what caused the Willis case. They wrote that it was “a really challenging time” for them, but they were “moving through it as a strong family unit.”

“As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up,’ and together we plan to do just that,” the Instagram post concludes.

The news comes just weeks after Bruce Willis celebrated his 67th birthday. Moore shared a photo of herself wishing Bruce Willis a happy birthday on March 19 and writing that she was “grateful for our blended family.”

Knowing the diagnosis aside, there’s little more than speculation as to what it all means. The extent of the development of his condition or possible courses of treatment, including a prognosis, are still unknown at this time.

Though Willis is credited with acting roles on IMDB dating back to 1980, his career catapulted to Hollywood heights after the release of 1988’s Die Hard, arguably one of the best Christmas movies of all time. He immediately became a royalty, and over the next decade alone, starred in films that saw protagonist John McClane return multiple times, as well as other memorable films such as Look Who’s Talking, Pulp Fiction, 12 Monkeys, The Fifth Element, Armageddon, and The Sixth Sense.