What Is Aphasia? Bruce Willis Steps Away From Acting After Diagnosis

Bruce Willis will be stepping away from his acting career after he was diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder that affects a person’s communication abilities.

On Wednesday, the 67-year-old actor’s daughter, Rumer Willis, shared a photo of her father along with a statement on Instagram.

“To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family, 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,” the statement read.

“As a result of this and with much consideration, Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.”

Bruce Willis has appeared in countless notable films, including the “Die Hard” franchise, “The Sixth Sense,” “Pulp Fiction,” “Armageddon,” and "The Fifth Element."

“This is a really challenging time for our family, and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion, and support. We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him,” the statement continued.

“As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up,’ and together we plan to do just that. Love, Emma, Demi [Moore], Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, & Evelyn.”

The Mayo Clinic describes aphasia as “a condition that robs you of the ability to communicate. It can affect your ability to speak, write and understand language, both verbal and written.”

Aphasia can be caused by a head injury or can occur after a stroke. The condition can also progress gradually over time from a brain tumor or a degenerative disease.

Willis’ family did not share what led to his diagnosis.

Aphasia also has different patterns in which a person can display strengths and weaknesses. Expressive aphasia is the pattern in which a person may understand what another person says better than they can speak.

People with aphasia suffer severe disabilities in expression and comprehension. They also struggle to form words and sentences.

Patients suffering from comprehensive aphasia typically speak in long complex sentences that don’t make sense and aren’t aware others can’t understand them. They also struggle to understand spoken language.

While there is no definitive cure, there are ways to treat the disorder. Speech and language therapy is the main treatment for aphasia. Patients are taught other ways to communicate and must relearn and practice language skills.

Scientists have also been studying different types of medications that could improve the flow of blood to the brain, replace neurotransmitters, and enhance the brain's recovery ability.

However, the medications have only been used in small studies, which means further research would have to take place before they can be recommended to patients.