Bruce Willis attends the Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis at Hollywood Palladium on July 14, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.
Wealthy Fury | Getty Images
Actor Bruce Willis has frontotemporal dementia, his family said Thursday.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, ex-wife Demi Moore and Rumer Willis, the couple’s eldest daughter, shared that the actor’s aphasia diagnosis, which the family had announced in March 2022, has progressed.
“Unfortunately, challenges with communication are only one symptom of the disease Bruce faces. While that is painful, it’s a relief to finally have a transparent diagnosis,” they wrote of their respective Instagram posts, which were signed by the “Ladies of Willis/Moore” family.
The family also expressed their “deepest gratitude for the incredible outpouring of affection, support and wonderful stories we’ve got all received since sharing Bruce’s original diagnosis.”
Frontotemporal dementia, generally known as FTD, is “an umbrella term for a bunch of brain disorders that primarily affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain,” in keeping with the Mayo Clinic. “These areas of the brain are generally related to personality, behavior and language.”
The Mayo Clinic said “signs and symptoms vary, depending on which a part of the brain is affected.”‘
“Some individuals with frontotemporal dementia have dramatic changes of their personalities and turn into socially inappropriate, impulsive or emotionally indifferent, while others lose the flexibility to make use of language properly,” in keeping with the location.
In March, the Willis/Moore family had said Willis can be “stepping away” from his profession following the aphasia diagnosis, which they said had impacted his cognitive abilities.
Representatives for Moore and Willis didn’t immediately reply to further request for comment on Thursday.