The Fight of His Life

After years of secretly struggling, Bruce Willis says goodbye to acting and his legion of fans

For years, there’s been speculation about Bruce Willis’ health and state of mind. But on March 30 — less than two weeks after he turned 67 — the beloved actor finally set the record straight via a statement released by his family. They revealed their “beloved Bruce” is suffering from aphasia — which robs a person of his or her ability to communicate — and “is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him” for the past 40 years.

The action star had no choice but to retire. “Aphasia is impacting his cognitive abilities,” explained Bruce’s wife, Emma, 43, his ex-wife, Demi Moore, 59, and his daughters, Rumer, 33, Scout, 30, Tallulah, 28, Mabel, 10, and Evelyn, 7. The neurological disorder, which occurs suddenly after a stroke or head injury — but can also come on gradually from a slow-growing brain tumor or a disease that causes progressive, permanent damage — can be crippling vocally. If the aphasia is caused by a neurodegenerative condition such as dementia, language and communication skills will continue to decline over time, and there is no cure for dementia. “Bruce has fought so hard — and continues to fight hard — but he just couldn’t continue acting,” a family insider tells In Touch. “Saying goodbye to acting and his fans has been very emotional for him.”

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Even harder that walking away from the profession he loves so dearly was telling his family about his life-changing diagnosis, says the insider. “It’s been an emotional roller coaster. The doctor visits, the tests, coming to grips with his condition...it hasn’t been easy. Everyone broke down in tears when they found out.”