It's been about one year since Bruce Willis officially retired from acting. The legendary actor known for Die Hard, Pulp Fiction, and many other beloved '80s and '90s blockbusters, was previously diagnosed with aphasia, a condition that impacts your cognitive abilities, affecting your ability to speak, write, and understand language. Unfortunately, it appears that his condition has progressed.
In a joint statement, the Willis family announced that Bruce Willis has officially been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (known as FTD).
"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," the family wrote on The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration website.
According to Mayo Clinic, in frontotemporal dementia, portions of the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain shrink (atrophy) which can result in speech and language problems, motor disorders, and behavioral changes. There's no cure or treatment for the disease which means Willis' condition will only continue to worsen over time.
Sharing a photo of Willis smiling at the beach, the family said that they hoped Willis' diagnosis will bring more focus on the horrible disease.
"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," the statement said, continuing:
Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others, and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately. We know in our hearts that – if he could today -- he would want to respond by bringing global attention and a connectedness with those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it impacts so many individuals and their families.
Bruce Willis is one of Hollywood's most accomplished stars, having scored leading roles in numerous blockbusters such as Die Hard (which spawned four sequels totaling $1.4 billion in global earnings), Pulp Fiction, The Fifth Element, Armageddon, The Sixth Sense, Sin City, Glass, The Whole Nine Yards, and many more.
At the time of his retirement last year, Willis had already filmed multiple movies which have been in various stages of production. Most recently, Willis starred in Lionsgate's Detective Knight trilogy. Independence, the third and final film in the trilogy, was released last month in select theaters and VOD.
As always, our thoughts and prayers are with Bruce Willis and his family.