Bruce Willis “quit” his acting career after being diagnosed with aphasia, resulting in loss of the ability to understand or express language, his family said in a statement posted to social media.
“To Bruce’s amazing supporters, we wanted to share as a family that our beloved Bruce is 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.”
The 67-year-old movie star is best known for playing John McClane in the iconic Die Hard franchise. The original 1988 film launched Willis as a film and action star after being best known as a comedic television actor, most notably in the series Moonlighting (1985-89).
Willis has starred in blockbusters such as The Fifth Element (1997), Armageddon (1998) and The Sixth Sense (1999). Willis’ other classics include The Last Boy Scout (1991), Death Becomes Her (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994) and 12 Monkeys (1995).
“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 mean to him. As Bruce always says, “Live it up” and together we plan to do just that. Love, Emma, Demi, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel and Evelyn.”
Willis was immediately trending on social media when the news broke, as fans shared their disbelief and sadness at the development.