Which member of the Willis family was one of the first to notice signs of
the actor’s health troubles? What did they say had changed? Keep watching to find out.
Bruce Willis' family revealed that the "Die Hard" actor was diagnosed with aphasia in 2022
and was forced to take a step back from work. The announcement came by way of an Instagram
post that was shared by some of Willis' family members. The family's statement read,
"Our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed
with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities. As a result of this and with much
consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him."
They added that it's been a, quote, "really challenging time" but were doing their best
to ensure that Willis was getting the best care. According to the Mayo Clinic,
patients who are diagnosed with aphasia have trouble communicating.
When Willis was in the early stages of the disorder,
his daughter Tallulah Willis said she noticed some signs that something
wasn't quite right with her dad. Tallulah said in a post that she wrote for Vogue,
"I've known that something was wrong for a long time. It started out with a kind of vague
unresponsiveness, which the family chalked up to Hollywood hearing loss: 'Speak up! Die Hard messed
with Dad's ears.' Later that unresponsiveness broadened, and I sometimes took it personally."
Bruce has made a handful of appearances on social media since his diagnosis,
but his condition is worsening.
Back in February, Bruce Willis' family offered the public another update on
his health. A statement shared on Rumer Willis' Instagram feed read,
"Since we announced Bruce's diagnosis of aphasia in spring 2022, Bruce's condition
has progressed and we now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia (known
as FTD). Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just one symptom of the
disease Bruce faces. While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis."
In her Vogue article, Tallulah Willis opened up about her personal
struggles with her mental health and admitted that she hasn't been in a
good place when learning about her father's diagnosis. She explained,
"I admit that I have met Bruce's decline in recent years with a share of avoidance
and denial that I'm not proud of. The truth is that I was too sick myself to
handle it. For the last four years, I have suffered from anorexia nervosa."
She shared that she is doing better post-treatment, but also acknowledges
that she's having a tough time losing her dad little by little. She wrote,
"I keep flipping between the present and the past when I talk about Bruce: he is, he was,
he is, he was. That's because I have hopes for my father that I'm so reluctant to let go of."
As Bruce Willis moves through this new phase of life, he has the full support of his family,
including his wife, Emma Heming Willis, their two daughters, his ex-wife, Demi Moore, and their
three daughters. On June 18th, Willis celebrated Father's Day with his kids — and with his new
granddaughter, Louetta, whom Rumer Willis welcomed in April. Rumer captioned an Instagram post,
"Seeing my father hold my daughter today was something I will treasure for the rest of my
life. His sweetness and love for her was so pure and beautiful. Papa I'm so lucky
to have you and so is Lou. Thank you for being the silliest, most loving,
coolest Daddio a girl could ask for. Best Girl Dad in the game."
Meanwhile, Tallulah Willis has been capturing memories of her dad,
too. She wrote in her article for Vogue,
"Every time I go to my dad's house, I take tons of photos — of whatever I see, the state of things.
I'm like an archaeologist, searching for treasure in stuff that I never used to pay much attention
to. I have every voicemail from him saved on a hard drive. I find that I'm trying to document,
to build a record for the day when he isn't there to remind me of him and of us."
Bruce Willis' career may have been cut short due to his health issues,
but he had already achieved great success as an actor as evidenced by the dozens of award
nominations (and wins) he's earned. On July 16th, Emma Heming Willis took to Instagram
to share a video of her husband visiting the set of "Die Hard.” Heming Willis captioned the post,
"Back in 2018 (when these videos and pictures were taken) we took Mabel and Evelyn to the Fox
lot to peek at the archives as well as see the larger-than-life mural of their dad. This mural
was unveiled in front of Bruce back in 2013 to commemorate Die Hard's 25th anniversary. Today
marks Die Hard's 35th anniversary when it hit the screens and the rest is history. What Bruce
has been able to accomplish in his career will never be lost on us. We are so proud of him."
In the comments section, Tallulah expressed her appreciation for her dad. She wrote,
"So so so proud. I love him so much. My papa icon."
She added, quoting one of the most recognizable lines from the film,
"Happy 35th Johnny Boy, maybe you can come out [to] the coast, have a few laughs."
We're sure that Willis' family often tells him just how grateful they are to have
him in their lives, even if things aren't the same as they once were.