The actor was diagnosed with aphasia in the spring of 2022. Since then, his condition has progressed.
Bruce Willis has frontotemporal dementia. The actor’s wife has issued a statement via Instagram to announce that Willis’s condition has progressed since he was diagnosed in the spring of 2022 with aphasia, a disorder that prevents him from communicating well.
“Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just a symptom of the illness Bruce is facing. While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis,” Emma Heming Willis said in the post.
Frontotemporal dementia is a general term for brain disorders that affect areas of the brain related to personality, behavior, and language. The symptoms of this diagnosis vary greatly from one person to another and can range from personality changes -some people acquire socially inappropriate behavior- to loss of language ability.
Despite the relief the family feels to learn of his condition, the bad news is that there is no treatment for the disease.
Surrounded by affection by a very peculiar family
Emma Heming, the interpreter’s wife, has broken the news with a photo of the actor smiling on a beautiful beach. In addition to communicating the diagnosis, she wanted to thank all her followers for her support. “Our family wanted to begin 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. In that spirit, we wanted to provide you with an update on our loving husband, father, and friend as we now have a deeper understanding of what he is experiencing,” she writes.
Luckily, Bruce Willis has a great family support network. Although Willis and Demi Moore separated in 2000 after 13 years of marriage and three daughters in common, they have maintained a very good relationship. He is now married to Emma Heming -with whom he had two more daughters-, but they live together. In fact, it is common for everyone to spend holidays like Christmas or Thanksgiving together.
