Bruce Willis is taking his final curtain call.
According to a statement released by several members of his family, Bruce Willis is retiring
from acting after a legendary career.
Rumer Willis, the actor's eldest daughter with ex-wife Demi Moore, expressed the news
on her personal account.
The statement read in part,
"To Bruce's amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce
has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia,
which is impacting his cognitive abilities."
Aphasia is a language disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate and process
language.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the condition can manifest in a variety of forms.
Speech therapy can help improve the condition over time, but the disorder will never go
away completely.
Since starting his acting career in the early '80s, Willis has garnered an enviable range
of credits on his résumé.
He came to prominence as the co-lead of ABC's "Moonlighting," which he won an Emmy for in
1987.
Time reports that Willis' four-decade career has collected more than $5 billion in box-office
revenue worldwide, not including his work set to be released in 2022.
The actor was steadily working before the news of his deteriorating health was made
public on March 30.
Now, fans and other Hollywood stars are sending their gratitude and best wishes to the actor
and his family.
"The Vampire Diaries" and "The Originals" actor Claire Holt was quick to respond to
the Willis family's statement about the actor's unexpected retirement by commenting,
"Sending lots of love to you all."
Dancer and actor Jenna Dewan responded,
"Sending love to you and your beautiful family."
One fan on Twitter wrote in response to the news,
"I love Bruce Willis.
From Moonlighting to Fifth Element, and more.
A great actor, iconic, sending him all my love, and hopes for wonderful days ahead."
Another person who said they live with dysphasia, a similar condition, tagged Rumer Willis and
offered their sympathy and support.
In the statement, the Willis family asked for continued love and support, as they noted
the challenging time they were going through.
The announcement continued,
"We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because
we know how much he means to you, as you do to him."
The news of Bruce Willis' retirement from acting comes as a shock to many, as he had
just celebrated 67th birthday with his family on March 19.
Demi Moore, who married Bruce in 1987, shared a heartwarming photo of him smiling on her
Instagram feed as they prepared dinner, captioning the post with,
"Happy birthday, Bruce!
Thankful for our blended family."
Meanwhile, Bruce's wife, Emma Heming Willis, also paid tribute to him by posting a slideshow
of them throughout the years.
She wrote to her followers,
"I don't just love him, I really really like him."
In the decade since Bruce married Emma, he's been vocal about keeping his health in check
for the sake of his family.
In an interview with Esquire in 2012, Bruce detailed his healthy lifestyle and fitness
regimen, which he adopted out of a desire to become a better father.
Sharing his satisfaction with his life at the time, he said,
"I'm in love with my wife and my kids.
I require very little.
Friends come over, the kids come over when they can.
We eat dinner.
And I'm happy to play along with their momentum."
As evidenced by their joint statements on Bruce Willis' aphasia diagnosis, the Willis
family is close and has operated as a tight unit for years.
Although there have been rumors of discord between Bruce's first wife Demi Moore and
his current wife Emma, the two have shown that they have nothing but respect for each
other.
According to Page Six, Moore even once referred to her and Emma as, quote, "mothers united,
sisters bonded on this crazy adventure of life."
During the onset of the pandemic in 2020, Moore stayed with Bruce and his family while
their daughters Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah also visited, according to People.
An insider told the outlet,
"Demi and Emma are very close.
They have vacationed together many times in the past and get along great.
It really is one happy family."
Meanwhile, a source close to Moore said that Bruce and Demi have remained good friends
since their divorce.
As Bruce focuses on managing his condition, we're sure that their family will become even
closer and continue to support each other through difficult times.
We wish all the best for the actor and his family.