Last year, Bruce Willis’ family announced that he was retiring from acting because he is suffering from aphasia. Today, they gave an update on his diagnosis.
As a family, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for the outpouring of love and compassion for Bruce over the past ten months. Your generosity of spirit has been overwhelming, and we are tremendously grateful for it. For your kindness, and because we know you love Bruce as much as we do, we wanted to give you an update.
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 a cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and can strike anyone. For people under 60, FTD is the most common form of dementia, and because getting the diagnosis can take years, FTD is likely much more prevalent than we know. Today there are no treatments for the disease, a reality that we hope can change in the years ahead. As Bruce’s condition advances, we hope that any media attention can be focused on shining a light on this disease that needs far more awareness and research.
My heart goes to his wife, Emma Hemming, their daughters, Evelyn and Mable Ray, his ex-wife Demi Moore and their daughters, Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah. I lost my father to dementia and Parkinson’s. It is incredibly difficult to watch them decline and know there is nothing you can do to help them.
I hope that Willis is able to enjoy Rumer’s baby, who will be his first grandchild because babies are great medicine.
