NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly a year after Bruce Willis’ family announced he was leaving the actor after being diagnosed with aphasia, his family say his “condition has progressed.”
In a statement posted Thursday, the 67-year-old actor’s family said Willis has a more specific diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia.
“This is heartbreaking, but we are relieved to finally have a definite diagnosis,” the statement read. It can hit anyone.”
Last March, Willis’ family said his aphasia was affecting his cognitive abilities. This condition results in the loss of the ability to understand or express language.
In a statement Thursday, his family said communication problems were just one symptom of frontotemporal dementia.
“Today there is no cure for this disease. We hope that this reality will change in the years to come,” the statement said. “As Bruce’s condition progresses, we hope that media attention can be focused on shedding light on a disease that requires far more awareness and research.”
The statement was posted on the Frontotemporal Degeneration Society website and was signed by Willis’ wife Emma Heming Willis, ex-wife Demi Moore, and five children Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel and Evelyn.