Footage of Bruce Willis defiantly declaring, “Nothing can keep me down,” has gone viral on social media within the wake of his devastating frontotemporal dementia diagnosis.
Willis’ remarks were recorded during a Comedy Central roast that took place back in 2018, where he was mercilessly mocked by celebrities including Martha Stewart and ex-wife Demi Moore.
On the conclusion of the event, the “Die Hard” star, now 67, took to the stage to deliver a rebuttal speech, stating: “Nothing can keep me down. I’ve been attacked by terrorists, asteroids, film critics, music critics, divorce lawyers, male pattern baldness, and none of it stopped me because I’m still Bruce f – – king Willis!”
The motion hero received a standing ovation for his rousing remarks, with the clip showing his three oldest daughters — Rumer, Tallulah and Scout — cheering within the audience.
The video was widely shared across Twitter Thursday night, hours after Willis’ family revealed his heartbreaking health news.
“You’re a real #legend,” one fan cheered above a retweet of the viral video.
“A LEGEND,” one other user concurred. “Frontotemporal dementia is something nobody should should undergo!”
Ex-wife Moore, 60, took to Instagram earlier on Thursday to disclose Willis’ “cruel” dementia diagnosis.
“Our family wanted to begin by expressing our deepest gratitude for the incredible outpouring of affection, support and wonderful stories we’ve got all received since sharing Bruce’s original diagnosis,” she wrote. “Within the spirit of that, we wanted to provide you an update about our beloved husband, father and friend since we now have a deeper understanding of what he’s experiencing.
“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 (referred to as FTD),” the “Ghost” star continued. “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.”
Moore’s message was co-signed by her daughters — Rumer, 34, Scout, 31, and Tallulah, 29 — in addition to Willis’ current wife, Emma Heming-Willis, 44, and her daughters Mabel, 10, and Evelyn, 8.
Frontotemporal is essentially the most common type of dementia in people under 60 years old, and there may be currently no cure.
Dr. Allison B. Reiss of NYU Long Island School of Medicine, told The Post Thursday that the disease — commonly referred to as FTD — is “actually a bunch of brain disorders that cause progressive degeneration of the neurons within the brain.”
Individuals with FTD have relatively fewer memory problems in comparison with other types of dementia, Reiss stated. Nonetheless, like other dementia-related diseases, they might exhibit emotional outbursts, poor manners and excessive familiarity with strangers, or go on to have muscular dysfunction.
Willis’ aphasia prompted him to retire from acting early last yr, because the brain disorder affects his ability to speak. That announcement got here amid reports that alleged his cognitive issues weren’t necessarily a latest development.
An insider said on the time that the actor had recently used “earpieces, hearing things, for them to feed him the lines” on sets, and that “it was increasingly difficult to have him on-screen.”
Meanwhile, on Friday, daughter Scout shared a selfie to Instagram Stories and added that she was feeling “emotionally drained and a bit overwhelmed” after news of her dad’s latest diagnosis broke.
Scout received support from her sisters Rumer and Tallulah, who re-shared her Story on their very own accounts, adding that they’re “grateful” for the support that has poured in since making their announcement.
