Bruce Willis 'stepping away' from acting as he battles aphasia, family announces

Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with aphasia, a condition where a person loses the ability to communicate, his family revealed on Wednesday. As a result, the Die Hard and Pulp Fiction star is "stepping away" from acting indefinitely.

The news comes more than a week after the actor celebrated his 67th birthday. Willis's wife, Emma, his daughters and ex-wife Demi Moore all broke the news to fans in a joint statement on social media.

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

"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," it continues. "As Bruce always says, 'Live it up' and together we plan to do just that."

Willis shares three adult daughters — Rumer, 33, Scout, 30, and Tallulah, 28 — with Moore. He and Emma are parents to Mabel, 9, and Evelyn, 7.

Aphasia is a medical condition that can affect someone's ability to speak, write and understand language, both verbal and written, according to Mayo Clinic. It typically occurs after a stroke or head injury, but there can be other causes, too. The severity varies from person to person.

Willis, who's won Emmy and Golden Globe awards, has completed dozens of films in recent years, including Midnight in the Switchgrass and Gasoline Alley, but has done little press. Some tabloids have speculated on possible health issues; however, this is the first time a diagnosis has been made public.

Although the iconic action star has retreated from the public recently, he's popped up on social media much to the delight of his fans. At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Willis quarantined with Moore and their daughters and showed off funny family antics on social media. Moore recently wished her ex a happy birthday, saying she's grateful for their "blended family."