About 1 million people are currently living with the language disorder in the United States.
Bruce Willis is stepping away from his acting career after being diagnosed with aphasia, a language disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate, his family announced Wednesday.
“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,” read the statement, which was posted to Instagram.
It was signed by the actor’s wife, Emma Heming Willis, his ex-wife Demi Moore, along with his children.
Questions about the actor’s health began circulating Sunday, when some noticed he wasn’t part of the “Pulp Fiction” reunion that presented the Best Actor award at the Oscars.
The “Die Hard” star celebrated his 67th birthday just last week.
Neurologist Dr. Rohan Arora says aphasia is very serious, and that the Willis family can expect some tough times ahead.
Aphasia is caused by damage in a specific area of the brain that controls language expression and comprehension, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. About 1 million people are currently living with the disorder in the United States.
“As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that,” the statement concluded.
