Bruce Willis diagnosed with dementia
Bruce Willis, the Hollywood actor famed for roles in movies such as Die Hard, The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and more, has been diagnosed with dementia. The recent announcement compounds an extremely tragic few months for Willis, who recently retired from acting due to downslides in his health after he was diagnosed with aphasia. While the family has remained optimistic, the actor’s wife, Emma Heming Willis, has now released a statement to explain the addition of a recent dementia confirmation.
Willis has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). On social media, Heming Willis explained her relief following a clear diagnosis, saying: “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”.
According to the NHS, “Frontotemporal dementia is an uncommon type of dementia that causes problems with behaviour and language. Frontotemporal dementia affects the front and sides of the brain (the frontal and temporal lobes)”. The terribly brutal disease can, according to doctors, cause “personality and behaviour changes”, “language problems”, “problems with mental abilities”, and severe “memory problems”.
This comes only a year after Willis was diagnosed with aphasia back in 2022. Despite the difficult time, Heming Willis has mentioned the gratitude she has for Willis’ outpouring of support: “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”.
The family also used the opportunity to raise awareness of the condition: “FTD is a cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and can strike anyone. 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”.
In the face of this horrible disease, the Willis family say that the actor would have wanted to help spread the word so that more treatment could be made: “Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others, and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately,” the said. “We know in our hearts that he would want to respond by bringing global attention and connectedness with those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease”.
Bruce Willis has already been an icon in cinema for decades. Prior to his retirement, his legacy had been well-secured thanks to his roles in action blockbusters such as the Die Hard franchise and Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. Outside of strictly action movies, Willis also shined in artful turns in M Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable and Looper. Regardless of what decade he worked in, Willis always brought a certain passion to every role he played. While his health issues meant a very quick retirement from the silver screen, it won’t diminish his contribution to contemporary cinema.
See the full statement below.
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