What Condition Does Bruce Willis Have? The Star Had to Give Up His Acting Career

Although Bruce Willis and Demi Moore divorced over two decades ago, she loves him so much that she shared a throwback photo of themselves from the 1997 Cannes Film Festival premiere of “The Fifth Element.”

Demi Moore and Bruce Willis married in 1987, welcomed three daughters and divorced in 2000. Luckily, they put their differences aside and became good friends and co-parents. Their relationship is so unique that Moore frequently shares his photos on social media.

The throwback Moore posted on May 17, 2022, was so beautiful that even Willis’ wife, Emma Heming, reacted with love. Unfortunately, Willis’ family announced his retirement from the entertainment industry due to a rare condition.

Bruce Willis on November 15, 2015 in New York City | Source: Getty Images

BRUCE WILLIS GIVES UP ACTING

Born in March 1955, Bruce Willis is one of the most successful actors in Hollywood, with a career spanning over four decades. Although he shot to stardom as John McClane in the “Die Hard” franchise, he also appeared in “Pulp Fiction,” “12 Monkeys,” and “The Sixth Sense.” 

On March 30, 2022, Demi Moore and Bruce Willis’ daughter, Rumer, revealed on social media that her father had been dealing with some “health issues” that doctors eventually diagnosed as aphasia.

Bruce Willis on July 22, 2013 in London, England | Source: Getty Images

The condition negatively impacts Willis’ cognitive abilities, so he decided to step away from acting. Rumer added that although it was a challenging period for their family, they chose to navigate it as a strong unit. The post read: 

“As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that. Love, Emma, Demi, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, & Evelyn.”

WHAT IS APHASIA?

A cognitive disorder called aphasia appears when some portions of the brain responsible for managing language are damaged. 

In most cases, aphasia occurs suddenly and after a stroke or a head injury. It could also develop slowly due to a brain tumor or progressive neurological disease on rare occasions.

[Director Mike Burns] was asked to reduce Willis’ dialogue drastically.

Depending on the type and severity of aphasia, the patient could communicate in long sentences (but using made-up words) or in short phrases (without mentioning some words). Aphasia impacts the patient’s ability to express, understand, read, and write languages in both cases.

It is often treated with speech-language therapy to teach patients to use their remaining language abilities, employ other ways to communicate, or restore communication as much as possible. Family involvement is critical in the treatment.

BRUCE WILLIS STRUGGLED FOR YEARS ON SET

The aphasia news shocked Bruce Willis’ fans, but some of his co-workers saw it coming. They claimed Willis had been showing signs of cognitive decline for years as he couldn’t remember his lines and seemed confused with his surroundings. 

Director Mike Burns worked with Willis in 2021’s “Out of Death.” He initially didn’t know why he was asked to reduce Willis’ dialogue in the film drastically. After their first day working together, Burns understood why. 

Willis also had issues on the set of 2020’s “Hard Kill” as he fired a gun blank on the wrong cue. Bruce Willis will be missed in the entertainment industry.

Anomama