Bruce Willis stepping away from acting career following aphasia diagnosis

Bruce Willis, known over his four-decade acting career as one of Hollywood’s most beloved action heroes, is stepping away from acting according to a Wednesday statement posted on the actor’s Instagram page. The statement is signed by Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis, his ex-wife Demi Moore, and his five children, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel and Evelyn.

“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,” the statement read. “This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support. 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. As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, “aphasia is a condition that robs you of the ability to communicate,” including the “ability to speak, write and understand language, both verbal and written.” Potential causes of the condition include:

• Stroke
• Head injury
• Brain tumor
• A degenerative disease

“The severity of aphasia depends on a number of conditions, including the cause and the extent of the brain damage,” the Mayo Clinic writes. “Once the cause has been addressed, the main treatment for aphasia is speech and language therapy.”

Willis’s work has amassed more than $5 billion in box offices worldwide. He is perhaps best known for his leading role as John McClane in the five-part “Die Hard” movie series. The first “Die Hard” came out in 1988, with “A Good Day to Die Hard” seemingly wrapping up the series in 2013. Willis has shot numerous action thrillers that are due out in 2022, including “Gasoline Alley,” “A Day to Die” and “Fortress: Sniper’s Eye.”