(Fwrd Axis) — Actor Bruce Willis is “stepping away” and semi-retiring from his career after being diagnosed with aphasia, his family said Wednesday.
Rumer Willis, the eldest daughter of Demi Moore and Willis, posted an Instagram post sharing the news of her father’s diagnosis “is impacting his cognitive abilities.”
“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,” she wrote.
Moore also shared a message on her Instagram account, wishing her ex-husband well amid this medical issue.
“As a result of this and with much consideration, Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, aphasia “is a condition that robs you of the ability to communicate. It can affect your ability to speak, write and understand language, both verbal and written”. There is no known cure.
The family did not say what the cause is in Willis’ case. The most common causes of aphasia are either a stroke or brain injury, but it can also come on more gradually due to the growth of a brain tumor or a degenerative disease.
“As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that,” the Instagram post concludes.
The news comes just weeks after Bruce Willis celebrated his 67th birthday.
