Bruce Willis has been one of the biggest stars in Hollywood for several decades. The action star
and A-lister has been as reliable a box office draw as anyone, from his legendary character
of John McClane in the Die Hard series to his more dramatic performances in movies
like the Sixth Sense. But sadly, Bruce has had to step back from the world of acting in 2022.
This is because he was recently diagnosed with a form of cognitive brain impairment
known as aphasia. The condition is known to potentially affect the way a person speaks,
communicates, and understands others. Naturally, this means it would make it
increasingly difficult for Willis to continue his acting career. And so Willis has essentially been
forced into early retirement. His family has rallied around him, trying to be a source of
support and love as he goes through this incredibly difficult journey. So join
Facts Verse as Bruce Willis' Wife Shares Heartbreaking Health Update.
In March of 2022, the entertainment world was shocked when it was recently revealed
that megastar actor Bruce Willis was stepping back from his acting career,
due to a diagnosis of a cognitive condition known as aphasia. The condition affects a
person’s ability to speak, which makes acting virtually impossible. Millions of
fans gave an outpouring of love for the veteran A-lister, and his family rallied around him.
The Original Post The information about Willis’ health was first
posted on Instagram by his family. Specifically, his daughter, Rumor, posted a photo of Bruce
on her account. She revealed that her father was suffering from aphasia, which makes communication
very difficult. As such, she told the world that since the condition is affecting his cognitive
abilities, he would be forced to essentially retire from acting. She went on to talk about
how his condition, as well as his decision to step away from the acting world, was causing his family
to go through an intensely difficult time. But she expressed love and gratitude for the support
the family and Bruce were getting already from fans, saying that as they continued to
deal with this difficult time as a family, they felt that they should bring Bruce’s fans into
the loop since they are so important to him. That post was signed not only by Rumor but also by her
mom (Bruce’s ex, Demi Moore) as well as his other kids and his current wife Emma Heming.
Emma’s immediate reactions Shortly after the Willis family’s
post about Bruce’s condition, People Magazine published information given to them by a source
close to the family. It had to do with Emma’s plans on moving forward with her husband in a
more incapacitated state. The source said that not only did the blended family intend to spend
as much time as possible together, and support each other, but that Emma was, more than ever,
thankful for the daughters she shares with Bruce. In fact, days after the Instagram announcement of
Bruce’s retirement, the whole family gathered to celebrate Emma and Bruce’s daughter Mabel’s
birthday. The young girl turned 10 that day, and the family all came together to make sure they
celebrated the happy event as a family unit, and to try to forget about Bruce’s troubling
diagnosis, at least for a bit. That focus on happy moments seems to be a prime goal for the family,
as they feel it will help the process of living their new reality together.
Another person close to the Willis family told People Magazine that the goal of the family is
also to rally around Bruce, to be able to support him in whatever ways he needs. And
a third person, who is close to Emma, told the media outlet that Bruce was so fortunate
to have the family that he has. They pointed out that there couldn’t possibly be a better group
of people to be supportive and helpful to him. They also said that Emma’s part in this is huge,
and despite the tragedy of having to experience the decline of a spouse, she was doing the best
she could. And she’s especially trying to keep it together for Bruce’s sake.
Emma’s more recent revelations National Grief Awareness Day happened recently,
and Emma Heming took the opportunity to share how she’s been doing in the wake of her husband’s
condition. She put up an Instagram post that documented the last three months' activity for her
and her family. It was in the form of a montage that was set to Aretha Franklin’s rendition of “I
Say a Little Prayer.” As the images played through, viewers could see her caption,
which was all about the process of self discovery that she and her family were all going through
as of late. She also wrote about the nature of grief, and how it can be paralytic. She assured
her followers that she was deeply affected by it, and yet learned the best ways to live with it. She
also mentioned something her stepdaughter, Scout, told her. That was that grief is not
necessarily a bad thing – in fact, it’s perhaps the most telling sign of deep and unending love
for someone. She ended by adding a wish for her followers and all fans of Bruce, which
was that she hoped her words would help them find solace in whatever grief they are going through.”
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Impromptu Harmonica Jam In August of 2022,
Emma updated fans with a video on Instagram that featured Bruce Willis doing one of his
favorite activities – playing the harmonica. And for Willis, harmonica and music have been much
more than a hobby. Not only is Bruce a skilled actor and action star, but he’s also a veteran
professional musician. He came out with an album in 1987 that was called “The Return of Bruno.”
It was a blues-based album that featured appearances from stars like Booker T Jones,
The Pointer Sisters, and The Temptations. And it was released in one of the peaks of his
career – the late ‘80s – when Willis was not only starring in the hit show, Moonlighting,
but had also broken out as a major action star from the first Die Hard movie. Because of that,
his album garnered a lot of interest, and sold a lot of copies. It went Gold in the US,
peaking at the 14 spot on the US Billboard chart. It even went to number 4 in the UK.
Reviews of the album were mixed, with most people finding it an enjoyable, if not kitschy release
that was a fun listen. Willis later released a less successful album in 1989, called “If
It Don’t Kill You, It Just Makes You Stronger.” In the Instagram post put up by Emma, Bruce was
shown sitting on some indoor steps, playing blues harmonica, while family friend and fellow musician
Derek Richard Thomas strummed the acoustic guitar and sang. Along with the video, the Emma posted a
caption that read, 'Their talent is speaking for itself. I’ll just leave this here.'
Other Instagram posts Emma also posted an Instagram
photo that showed Bruce and Rumor in a loving father/daughter embrace. She captioned that
photo with “Beedub & that first born love.” She also included another photo that showed
her daughters with Bruce – Mabel Ray and Evelyn – alongside Rumer and Bruce’s musician buddy
Derek Richard Thomas, all sitting outside on a sunny summer afternoon. So clearly the family
is continuing to live life to the fullest and share as much time together as they can,
as they struggle through the difficult journey of Bruce’s battle with aphasia.
Aphasia
Many of Bruce’s fans have wondered about the nature of his condition,
as well as its potential causes. But the Willis family has been quiet about whether or not they
are aware of the causes of the condition. What is known is that Aphasia can drastically change the
way a person is able to communicate. It happens by not only limiting your speech but also affecting
your ability to understand other people when they talk. It also can make it increasingly
difficult for people to communicate through writing, and even to understand the written
word. Some of the underlying conditions that have been known to cause it are Alzheimer’s disease,
brain tumors, or even a stroke or head injury. But the Willis family has not so far released
any information as to whether Bruce is known to have any of those issues. What’s likely is that
if his condition worsens, he’ll be treated with speech therapy. He’ll likely also be helped out
with communication skills by being taught ways to utilize non-verbal communication.
The entertainment world, Bruce’s millions of fans, and his family were all taken aback by
the startling revelation of his illness early in 2022. There has been an outpouring of love
for the aging actor, and the hope is that he will retain as much of his communication
skills as possible, and be able to live a happy life with his family and friends.
Now it’s time to hear from you. What’s your favorite Bruce Willis movie? Let us know in
the comments section below. And before you go, be sure to give this video a like, and subscribe to
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