Video: Family confirms Die Hard actor Bruce Willis has dementia
A family statement says the famous actor’s condition has worsened, but they are ‘happy to have a clearer diagnosis’.
American actor William Bruce Willis (67) has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
Yesterday, a statement by Willis’ family was posted on the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration’s website, confirming his 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,” reads the statement signed by Emma, Demi, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, and Evelyn.
The actor was most notably known for his role as John McClane in the Die Hard franchise (1988–2013).
In the statement, the family said FTD is a cruel disease many people are unaware of. They said that they hope Willis’ diagnosis focuses media attention on the disease ‘that needs far more awareness and research’.
“As a family, we want to thank you all for the outpouring of love and compassion for Bruce over the past 10 months. Your generosity of spirit has been overwhelming, and we are tremendously grateful for it. For your kindness, and because we know you love Bruce as much as we do, we wanted to give you an update.”
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Temple Health neurologist Dr Leah Croll spoke to ABC News’ Linsey Davis about the diagnosis. She explained that FTD is a ‘rare form of dementia’ that only amounts to ‘about 10% of dementia cases’.
She adds that it is difficult to diagnose FTD and that there is currently no cure for the illness, but that it can be ‘managed’ through medication and/or speech or physical therapy, depending on the patient’s symptoms.
Watch the video here:
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