Bruce Willis’ family has announced that the actor is retiring from the profession after being diagnosed with aphasia, a language disorder caused by brain damage that affects a person’s ability to communicate. Willis’ family members released a joint statement on social media announcing the actor’s retirement.
“To Bruce’s amazing supporters, we wanted to share as a family that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia which is affecting his cognitive abilities,” the statement read. “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,” the statement continued. “We’re going 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 mean to him.
As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that.”
Variety reached out to Bruce Willis’ rep for further comment, but his team has no further explanation to offer at this time, other than his family’s words below.
Willis’ acting career began in the early 1980s with uncredited roles in films such as Sidney Lumet’s The Verdict. His career exploded later in the decade thanks to his starring role opposite Cybill Shepherd in the ABC series Moonlighting and his performance as John McClane in the 1988 action film Die Hard, which launched Willis in his first major film franchise. During his four-decade acting career, Willis’s films have grossed over $5 billion worldwide. He has been nominated for five Golden Globes (one for “Moonlighting”) and three Emmys (one for “Moonlighting” and one for his guest role “Friends”).
Read Willis’ family’s full statement in the following social media post.
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