When Bruce Willis withdrew from the spotlight his fans wondered what the reason behind that decision could be. Shortly after, his family issued a statement in which they wrote the actor was diagnosed with a more specific condition; frontotemporal dementia.
“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,” his daughter Rumer Willis posted on the social media.
“In the spirit of that, we wanted to give you an update about our beloved husband, father and friend since we now have a deeper understanding of what he is experiencing.
“Since we announced Bruce’s diagnosis of aphasia in spring 2022, Bruce’s condition has progressed and we now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia (known as FTD).
His wife, Emma, who’s he’s caretaker, shares updates on the condition of the actor with the fans and they are getting more and more worried for his state.
“Dementia is hard. It’s hard on the person diagnosed, it’s also hard on the family. That is no different for Bruce, or myself, or our girls. When they say this is a family disease, it really is,” Emma said during an appearance on the Today show for World Frontotemporal Dementia Awareness Week.
On March 19, Willis celebrated his 69th birthday.
However, the family is concerned about the actor’s weight loss and decreased appetite, as his condition continues to deteriorate.
A source speaking to In Touch disclosed that “he doesn’t express hunger much,” highlighting his weight loss and reduced appetite as alarming signs of declining health.
“According to family members, the challenge at home is making sure that he’s getting enough to eat, that he’s not skipping mealtime, and that his diet is filled with foods that have the chance to improve his health instead of subtract from it…This is a sad situation that should be familiar to anybody who is dealing with a close family member with dementia or Alzheimer’s.”
The source continued, “He can’t communicate anymore, and he has difficulty recognizing people,” adding that his sharpness is affected.
Glenn Gordon, who plays the lead in Sixth Sense, spoke of Willis’ health. “He’s not totally verbal; he used to be a voracious reader – he didn’t want anyone to know that – and he’s not reading now.” Gordon, who tries to visit Willis at least once a month, continued, “All those language skills are no longer available to him.”
Willis’ wife took to Instagram in order to address the “negative narrative around dementia.” She posted, “My experience is that two things can be true and exist at the same time. Grief and deep love. Sadness and deep connection. Trauma and resilience.”
She then goes on to clarify, “I can just tell you, that is far from the truth. A hundred percent, there is grief and sadness, there’s all of that. But you start a new chapter…it’s filled with love, it’s filled with connection, it’s filled with joy, it’s filled with happiness.
