NJ Native Bruce Willis Diagnosed With Aphasia, Will Stop Acting

CARNEYS POINT, NJ — Bruce Willis, who grew up in New Jersey and now lives near Los Angeles, was recently diagnosed with aphasia and is stepping away from acting, his daughter said Wednesday.

Willis, who gained international fame for playing wisecracking and hard-edged characters such as John McClane in the "Die Hard" franchise, Butch Coolidge in "Pulp Fiction" and Malcolm Crowe in "The Sixth Sense," has experienced health issues from aphasia.

The condition robs people of the ability to communicate, according to the Mayo Clinic.

"It can affect your ability to speak, write and understand language, both verbal and written," the clinic said.

Aphasia typically occurs suddenly after a stroke or a head injury, though it can come on gradually from a slow-growing brain tumor or a disease that causes progressive, permanent damage.

A person with aphasia can experience symptoms such as speaking in short or incomplete sentences, speak in sentences that don't make sense or substituting a word for another or one sound for another. It can also leave them speaking unrecognizable words and not understanding other people's conversation.

Rumer Willis, the eldest daughter of Bruce Willis and actress Demi Moore, wrote in an Instagram post Wednesday morning that the diagnosis has affected her father's cognitive ability, and that it was a "really challenging time" for the family.

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

Rumer Willis added: "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."

Bruce Willis, 67, lives with his wife, Emma, 43, at their Brentwood Park mansion with their two daughters. They bought the home for nearly $10 million in 2019.

He also has three daughters with ex-wife Demi Moore.

Willis was born in 1955 in Germany and grew up in New Jersey, graduating from Penns Grove High School in Carneys Point in 1973, where he was student council president and a member of the drama club, the school's TV crew and the junior varsity baseball team. As a senior, he was homecoming royalty.

Willis, who has won a Golden Globe, two Emmy Awards, and two People's Choice Awards, was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2011.