Bruce Willis retires from acting following aphasia diagnosis

The actor's family has confirmed the news.

Acting icon Bruce Willis is set to retire from the profession after being diagnosed with aphasia, according to his family. Willis' daughter Rumer confirmed the news via a post on her Instagram account on Wednesday, 30 March. Aphasia is a language disorder caused by brain damage that affects the ability to communicate. Rumours had circulated online in recent weeks that Willis was suffering health issues, with some critics and fans pointing out that the actor had been regularly using an earpiece while working on recent films. "To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities," a joint family statement begins. "As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.” "This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support,” the statement continues. "We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him. "As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that." Willis' career began in earnest in 1980 with his first movie and TV roles. By the end of that decade, he was well on his way to becoming a household name, not least due to his truly iconic turn as John McClane in Die Hard. He would reprise the character in numerous sequels while also standing out in the likes of Pulp Fiction, 12 Monkeys, and The Sixth Sense. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbu-CyELWio/