Bruce Willis, the beloved actor known for his iconic roles in films such as Die Hard, The Sixth Sense, and Pulp Fiction, was diagnosed with a cognitive disorder known as aphasia, which was later specified as frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Here is a timeline of Bruce Willis's health as shared by his family.
2022: Aphasia Diagnosis and Retirement from Acting
The actor's family first announced his diagnosis in 2022. His wife, Emma, disclosed his health condition in an Instagram post, declaring that he would step back from acting following the diagnosis of aphasia, a brain disorder. She wrote that he was "stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him." According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, aphasia results from damage to areas of the brain responsible for language, often due to a stroke or traumatic brain injury. For most people, the left side of the brain is affected. Aphasia impairs the expression and understanding of language, as well as reading and writing. It is a neurodegenerative condition that causes speech impairment.
Emma has been a caring partner throughout his journey. "We're going to come out, we're going to be loud about it, and we're going to make a difference," Emma told People in May 2025. More recently, in May 2026, Emma shared another update: "We're doing well. My husband is supported and loved. We're doing the best we can under the circumstances," she told Today.
2023: Aphasia Progresses to Frontotemporal Dementia
In 2023, Bruce Willis's daughter Rumer announced that her father's aphasia had taken the more specific form of frontotemporal dementia. "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," Rumer said, as reported by Lad Bible. Emma, who authored the book The Unexpected Journey about her caregiving experience, told People how the family faced isolation during Willis's early diagnosis. "FTD doesn't scream, it whispers. It's very gray to know where Bruce stopped and where his disease kicked in. I started noticing his stutter started to come back and conversations weren't really aligning anymore. It was hard to put my finger on why and what was happening," she said.
2023: Willis Unaware of His Diagnosis
Emma Willis revealed in an interview with Today that Willis was unaware of his diagnosis due to his ongoing condition. When asked, "Does he know what's going on?" she replied, "Hard to know." Addressing the issue on Cameron Oaks Roger's podcast Conversations with Cam, Emma said, "I think that's the blessing and the curse of this, is that he never connected the dots that he had this disease, and I'm really happy about that."
2025: Speech and Cognitive Decline
Willis's condition has caused difficulties due to impaired speech and cognitive issues, but his family has remained a strong support system. They continue to see him as the same person. "Sometimes, love does not need words. I can just sit there with Bruce, and we look at each other and we laugh and smile and that, to me, is more than anything," Emma told People in September 2025. "You can see the tenderness of it. The girls don't need him to be this or do that," she told The Sunday Times in September 2025. "They have really adapted to his disease and they know how to move around him."
In 2025, Emma made the difficult decision to move Willis out of the family home into his own one-story house nearby. She announced the living arrangement in the ABC News special Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey and later explained why it was essential for their family.
