Bruce Willis to step away from acting after aphasia diagnosis [Video]

• Bruce Willis will be “stepping away” from his acting career following an aphasia diagnosis, his family announced on Wednesday.
• According to his family, the disease has impacted his cognitive abilities.
• Aphasia can affect a person’s language functions, such as speaking, reading, and writing.

Bruce Willis will be “stepping away” from his acting career after he was diagnosed with aphasia, a language and communication disorder, according to an announcement from his family on Wednesday.

Rumer Willis, one of his daughters with Demi Moore, wrote on Instagram, “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,” she stated.

She expressed gratitude for everyone showing “love, compassion and support” amid a “really challenging time” for their family. She added that they are “moving through this as a strong family unit.”

“As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that,” the post concluded.

The statement was signed by his wife, Emma Heming Willis; their two daughters, Mabel and Evelyn; his ex-wife, Moore; and their three daughters, Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah. 

What is aphasia?

Aphasia is a condition that affects a person’s language functions, such as speech, writing, and reading, the Mayo Clinic explained.

According to aphasia.org, it usually occurs after a stroke or other brain injury. It currently affects more than 2 million Americans of all ages.

The cause of Willis’ aphasia is still unclear, but there have been rumors that he has been suffering from early-onset memory loss for several years. Speech pathologist Brooke Lang said that Willis could possibly have primary progressive aphasia, a neurodegenerative condition that affects language and cognition.

Aphasia doesn’t typically reflect cognitive deficits, however. It may cause stuttering or slurring, or struggling to find the right words. Patients could also take time to read, hear, or interpret concepts such as directions and time. Some develop a propensity for curse words.

Because of the impaired speech it causes, aphasia is usually misunderstood.

Lang said that most people tend to judge a person by their way of communication. “So naturally people sort of think that they’re dumb or not smart,” she explained. “All of that knowledge is still there. They just have trouble accessing the language piece.” 

Aphasia has no known cure. Treatment usually involves targeted speech and language therapy that address specific challenges.

Source: Insider