The family of Bruce Willis reported, this Thursday (16/2), that the actor has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). In 2022, it was announced that he would retire after being diagnosed with aphasia (speech difficulties), which evolved into the current picture.
“Unfortunately, communication challenges are just one symptom of the illness that Bruce faces. While this is painful, it is a relief to finally come to a clear diagnosis.”
According to MSD Manual, about half of FTDs are hereditary. The main effects of the disease are changes in personality, behavior and language – although some cases have memory loss, the sign is not as common as in Alzheimer’s, another type of dementia.
The patient has difficulty with abstract reasoning and attention, answers questions in a disorderly manner, becomes impulsive, loses social inhibitions, and neglects personal hygiene. The behavior becomes repetitive and stereotyped and there is a reduction in verbal expression, with excessive repetition of some words.
Many people with FTD are, like Willis, diagnosed with aphasia, when there is reduced fluency, difficulty understanding language and hesitation – this may be the only symptom before the diagnosis in some patients.
It is possible that, as the disease progresses, the individual may have generalized muscle atrophy, weakness, fasciculations and difficulty chewing — therefore, he or she may be at risk of aspiration pneumonia and even premature death. The condition is irreversible.
Walter Bruce Willis, born in 1955, is an American singer, businessman and actor. Born in Idar-Oberstein, Germany, Willis is considered one of Hollywood’s biggest stars of all time.Gilbert Carrasquillo / Collaborator / Getty Images
***Foto-bruce-willis-3.jpgThe actor is the son of an American and a German who met after the end of World War II. Fleeing from the consequences that defeated Germany faced, Bruce and his parents went to live in the United States.Theo Wargo / Team/ Getty Images
***Foto-bruce-willis-7.jpgWillis had his first contact with the stage at school, when he was part of the institution’s theater group. After graduating, he did not find good job opportunities and had to work at a nuclear power plant in Salem, where he developed pneumonia and, as a result, had to be hospitalized for a long time.VCG / Contributor/ Getty Images
***Photo-Bruce-Willis-actor-6.jpgSome time later, being sure of what he wanted, he saved money and paid for the acting course in the Theater Program at Montclair State University. Humorous and popular, it didn’t take long for the actor to gain notoriety.Rich Fury / Correspondent/ Getty Images
***Foto-bruce-willis-1.jpgBruce Willis used to have a stutter, but managed to resolve the situation after enrolling in the theater program. Talented, the actor participated in several plays until he got an opportunity to star in the series A Gata e o Rato, in 1985, alongside actress Cybill Shepherd.Dia Dipasupil / Team/ Getty Images
***Foto-bruce-willis-2.jpgDuring Cybill Shepherd’s pregnancy, and a break from the TV series, Willis jumped at the opportunity to star in the movie Die Hard, which became a true phenomenon. Karwai Tang / Contributor/ Getty Images
***Photo-Bruce-Willis-actor-6.jpgThe success of the feature was so great that it spawned four sequels: Die Hard 2, Die Hard: Revenge, Die Hard 4.0 and Die Hard: A Good Day, To DieTommaso Boddi / Correspondent/ Getty Images
***Photo-Bruce-Willis-actor-6.jpgWith cinematographic works, Bruce became one of the greatest action actors and one of the most respected stars of all time. In 2006, the actor even got a star in his honor on the Walk of Fame.Albert L. Ortega / Contributor / Getty Images
***Foto-bruce-willis-6.jpgDuring his career, Bruce Willis received several awards, such as: the Golden Globe for his performance in A Gata e o Rato and the Emmy for his participation in Friends, for example.Mitchell Leff / Contributor / Getty Images
***Photo-Bruce-Willis-actor-6.jpgWillis was married to actress Demi Moore for 13 years, from 1987 to 2000, and they have three daughters together, Rumer Willis, 33, Scout Willis, 30, and Tallulah Willis, 28. worked out, they remain good friends to this day.Stefanie Keenan / Collaborator / Getty Images
***Photo-bruce-willis-5.jpgIn 2009, the actor married model Emma Heming, with whom he has daughters Mabel Ray Willis, 10, and Evelyn Penn, 8.VCG / Contributor/ Getty Images
***Foto-bruce-willis-4.jpgIn 2022, the family of American actor Bruce Willis announced that he is interrupting his career due to a disease called aphasia. The condition is the result of brain damage and its most striking feature is the patient’s inability to communicate with other people. Theo Wargo / Team/ Getty Images
***Foto-bruce-willis-8.jpg“We wanted to share that our beloved Bruce is experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is affecting his cognitive abilities,” reads an excerpt from the statement from the actor’s family.Dave J Hogan / Contributor/ Getty Images
***Photo-Bruce-Willis-actor-6.jpg“This is a truly challenging time for our family and we are so grateful for your love, compassion and continued support,” reads the statement released by the Die Hard star’s family. “We are going through this as a strong family unit and we wanted to bring his fans along because we know how much he means to you, just as you mean to him.”Gilbert Carrasquillo / Collaborator / Getty Images
***Photo-Bruce-Willis-actor-6.jpg“As Bruce always says, ‘live on’ and together we plan to do just that,” concludes the statement, signed by his wife Emma, ex-wife Demi Moore and the actor’s children.Jim Spellman / Collaborator / Getty Images
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“FTD is a cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and that can strike anyone. For people under age 60, FTD is the most common form of dementia, and because diagnosis can take years, FTD is probably far more prevalent than we know. Currently, there are no treatments for the disease, a reality that we hope can change in the years to come. As Bruce’s condition progresses, we hope any media attention can be focused on shining a light on this disease that needs much more awareness and research.”
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