BRUCE Willis is regarded as one of the most iconic actors of all time.
The movie star announced his retirement from acting following a devastating dementia diagnosis.
How is Bruce Willis doing?
On March 19, 2024, Bruce Willis appeared in a sweet picture with his ex-wife Demi Moore, celebrating his 69th birthday.
Fans have been keen to know how the actor is doing, as he battles dementia.
In the pic, the Die Hard star was sitting in his living room in a plush grey recliner as his ex-wife sat on the arm of the chair.
Bruce had his arm wrapped around Demi and his hand was firmly gripping her upper arm as they stared intently at each other.
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In return, she put her hand over his and grabbed his arm with her other hand.
The actress captioned the post: “Happy birthday, BW! We love you and are so grateful for you,” with a white heart emoji.
She also included a photo of Bruce with his grandchild and a throwback photo of him with his daughters.
The last update fans got about the Hollywood star was from his wife, Emma Heming in September 2023.
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Appearing on The Today Show she talked about her husband’s condition and how he was doing.
Emma said: “What I’m learning is that dementia is hard. It’s hard on the person diagnosed, it’s also hard on the family.
“And that is no different for Bruce, or myself, or our girls. When they say this is a family disease, it really is.”
She added that it’s “hard to know” if he knows what’s going on.
Meanwhile, Demi also shared a video of him celebrating his 68th birthday in 2023.
The clip showed his family blowing out the candles of his birthday cake.
Our family wanted to start by expressing our deepest gratitude for the incredible outpouring of love, support, and wonderful stories we have all received since sharing Bruce’s original diagnosis.
The Willis family
The actor seemed in good spirits, and spoke on camera for the first time since his diagnosis, joining in as they sang happy birthday to him.
What illness does Bruce Willis have?
In 2022, Bruce retired from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia.
Aphasia is the inability to comprehend or formulate language due to damage to areas of the brain.
In February 2023, it was announced that Willis had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
The statement read: “Our family wanted to start by expressing our deepest gratitude for the incredible outpouring of love, support, and wonderful stories we have all received since sharing Bruce’s original diagnosis.
“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.”
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the most common form of dementia in people under 60 and symptoms include personality changes, obsessive behavioru, and speaking difficulties.
What are the main symptoms of dementia?
Dementia symptoms vary depending on the cause. But common signs and symptoms include:
- memory loss.
- difficulty concentrating.
- finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping.
- struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word.
- being confused about time and place.
- mood changes
Source: NHS
Is Bruce Willis married and does he have any children?
Bruce has been married to wife Emma Heming since 2009.
He was famously married to actress Demi Moore from 1987 to 2000.
Bruce has five children, two from his marriage to Emma and three with Demi.
His three children with his first wife, named Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah, have all gone on to have careers in acting, much like their parents.
His two children with Emma are Mabel, born in 2012, and Evelyn, born in 2014.
Meanwhile in March 2024, his daughter Tallulah revealed she had been diagnosed with autism.
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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the name for a range of similar conditions, including Asperger Syndrome, that affect a person’s social interaction, communication, interests and behaviour.
People on the autism spectrum may, for example, be under or over-sensitive to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light or colours.
