Bruce Willis' health condition worsens, family reveals FTD diagnosis

WASHINGTON: Veteran Hollywood action star Bruce Willis' condition has now progressed into frontotemporal dementia after his family announced in March 2022 that he would retire from acting due to his aphasia diagnosis.

According to Variety, an American media company, his family posted a statement on Thursday about Willis' latest diagnosis.

In a statement on the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration's website, he wrote, "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)."

"Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces. While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis," they added, as per Variety.

The actor's daughter Rumer Willis also shared the news, along with a photo of her father, on Instagram.

Variety has reported that frontotemporal dementia, which is often diagnosed at a younger age than other forms of dementia, can be characterized by personality changes, speech difficulty, and motor impairment. It's the cause of 10 per cent to 20 per cent of all dementia diagnoses, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Willis began his acting career in the early 1980s, with appearances in films such as 'The Verdict', 'Blind Date', and 'Sunset'. With his leading role alongside Cybill Shepherd in the ABC series 'Moonlighting' in 1985, and his legendary portrayal as action star John McClane in 1988's 'Die Hard', his career took off.

In addition to four 'Die Hard' sequels, he has appeared in 'Pulp Fiction', '12 Monkeys', 'The Fifth Element', 'The Sixth Sense', 'Armageddon', and other films.