Bruce Willis family announces aphasia diagnosis
Fox News Matt Finn reports on the family's announcement that Bruce Willis will step away from his acting career after being diagnosed with aphasia, which impacts cognitive ability.
Bruce Willis continues to put up a strong fight as he battles dementia.
The iconic Hollywood actor’s family initially shared a health update back in February, explaining that his aphasia diagnosis had "progressed" to frontotemporal dementia.
The 68-year-old actor's ex-wife, Demi Moore, revealed the diagnosis on social media with a heartfelt post, while his current wife Emma Heming, and his five daughters have also stood by his side every step of the way.
Here's a look back at how Willis has persevered through his yearlong dementia battle with unconditional love and support from his family.
BRUCE WILLIS DIAGNOSED WITH FRONTOTEMPORAL DEMENTIA FOLLOWING APHASIA BATTLE, FAMILY SAYS
Bruce Willis' family has stood by his side during his yearlong battle with dementia. (Getty Images)
On Feb. 16, Moore took to Instagram to provide a health update on Willis’ severe condition.
"Our family wanted to start by expressing our deepest gratitude for the incredible outpouring of love, support and wonderful stories we have all received since sharing Bruce’s original diagnosis," Moore wrote. "In the spirit of that, we wanted to give you an update about our beloved husband, father and friend since we now have a deeper understanding of what he is experiencing."
She added, "Since we announced Bruce’s diagnosis of aphasia in spring 2022, Bruce’s condition has progressed and we now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia (known as FTD).
"Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces. While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis."
FTD is "the result of damage to neurons in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain," according to the National Institute on Aging. "Many possible symptoms can result, including unusual behaviors, emotional problems, trouble communicating, difficulty with work, or difficulty with walking."
Willis has been married to Heming since March 2009, and the couple has two daughters, Mabel and Evelyn.
The "Die Hard" actor was previously married to Moore for 12 years, and the friendly exes have three daughters together: Rumer, Scout and Tallulah.
BRUCE WILLIS DIAGNOSED WITH APHASIA, 'STEPPING AWAY' FROM ACTING, FAMILY REVEALS
News of Willis’ initial health diagnosis with aphasia came a little over a week after his 67th birthday in March 2022.
His family announced he’s taking a break from acting since his condition impacted his ability to communicate.
"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. As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him," the family statement read.
Bruce Willis celebrated his birthday with his wife Emma, his ex-wife Demi Moore and his five daughters. (Demi Moore Instagram)
It continued: "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," read the statement, written on behalf of his wife, ex-wife and daughters.
BRUCE WILLIS HOLDS FAMILY TIGHT DURING THANKSGIVING WHILE BATTLING DEMENTIA
While Willis continues to battle frontotemporal dementia, he appears to remain in good spirits, especially during the holidays.
Willis' daughter Scout, 32, shared several sweet videos and photos of her father on social media over Thanksgiving. Scout put out her hand while waiting for Bruce to grab on, as she captioned the video, "My guy."
Willis' daughter Scout, 32, shared several sweet videos and photos of her father on social media over Thanksgiving. (Scout Willis/Emma Willis/Instagram)
The second photo on Scout's Instagram story showed Bruce, 68, placing his hands on her face as she cozied up next to her father.
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Scout's Instagram story showed Bruce placing his hands on her face as she cozied up next to her father. (Scout Willis/Instagram)
Willis' wife, Emma, 47, additionally shared a special family moment of the day. She is seen hugging and holding Bruce’s face in a rare snap.
BRUCE WILLIS' WIFE EMMA IS ADDING TO HER 'DEMENTIA CARE TOOLBOX’ AMID ACTOR'S DIAGNOSIS
Emma continues to candidly speak out about how she’s coping with her husband’s dementia.
"I struggle with guilt, knowing that I have resources that others don’t," she wrote in an op-ed for Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper last month.
She added, "When I’m able to get out for a hike to clear my head, it’s not lost on me that not all care partners can do that."
Willis’ wife Emma continues to candidly speak out about how she’s coping with her husband’s dementia. (Larry Busacca/VF14/WireImage/Getty Images)
"When what I share about our family’s journey gets press attention, I know that there are many thousands of untold, unheard stories, each of them deserving of compassion and concern," she noted.
But she also sees that "what I share matters to others who may be struggling, and in a small way makes them feel seen and understood. I want people to know that when I hear from another family affected by FTD, I hear our family’s same story of grief, loss, and immense sadness echoed in theirs. It's important to me to be an advocate on behalf of those families who don’t have the time, energy, or resources to advocate for themselves."
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The model and entrepreneur said she also has "so much more hope" than when he was first diagnosed, because she understands the disease better.
In September she admitted on the "Today" show that "dementia is hard" and when asked if Bruce is aware of his condition, Emma responded, "It's hard to know."
Willis’ wife Emma said she has "so much more hope" than when her husband was first diagnosed, because she understands the disease better. (James Devaney/GC Images)
Meanwhile, one of Willis’ daughters, Tallulah, tries to focus on the good memories she has with her father.
Last month, she shared a series of photos on Instagram that were close to her heart.
Tallulah shared several photos of her father on Instagram. (Getty Images | Instagram)
The first shows her sitting with her dad in a big chair, holding hands, and a later one shows them standing side by side in a driveway.
"Damn, these photos are hitting tonight," she wrote in the caption. "You’re my whole damn heart and I’m so proud to be your Tallulah Belle Bruce Willis."
The 29-year-old previously appeared on "The Drew Barrymore Show" to talk about her dad’s ongoing battle with dementia.
"He is the same, which I think in this regard I’ve learned is the best thing you can ask for," she said.
"I see love when I’m with him, and it’s my dad, and he loves me, which is really special," she added.
Barrymore asked why the family has been so open about his condition, which Tallulah described as "a very aggressive cognitive disease; [a] form of dementia that’s very rare."
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"Well, I think it’s twofold. On one hand, it’s who we are as a family, but also, it’s really important for us to spread awareness," she explained.
Fox News Digital's Tracy Wright and Elizabeth Stanton contributed to this report.
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