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Bruce Willis in Los Angeles in July 2018
Photo:
Rich Fury/Getty Images
Bruce Willis was mostly the strong man on the big screen for many years.
"Die Hard", "Armageddon", "Pulp Fiction" - the now 67-year-old has created a legend as a tough (film) guy with his roles.
But Willis could also do other things.
In »The Sixth Sense«, for example, he played a sensitive psychologist.
Now it is clear: There will be no further appearances in films.
Willis has dementia, which his family describes as "frontotemporal dementia."
The family also speaks of a "relief" in their message.
In
March
last year
she announced that Willis suffers from what is known as aphasia.
This is a speech disorder that can result from a stroke.
"Because of this, and after careful consideration, Bruce is retiring from the career that has meant so much to him," it said at the time.
The disease should have made itself felt before.
In
July
, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing film set workers, that there had been fears for years that Willis would no longer be able to work on the film.
During one of his last shoots, Willis is said to have been in such a bad state that he could only move when accompanied.
The text is said to have been spoken to him via a button in his ear.
Family posts pictures of Willis on Instagram
In the months after his career ended, Willis became quiet.
In October,
his wife Emma Heming Willis went public with a video compilation on Instagram.
“We don't believe in perfection here, but our summer of 2022 was pretty close.
It was indeed magical,” she wrote.
In
December
, Willis' ex-wife, Demi Moore, also shared a series of photos on Instagram with the entire family including Willis.
Willis was married to the actress between 1987 and 2000 and they have daughters Rumer, Scout and Tallulah.
He has been married to model Heming since 2009.
Later in December, it was announced that Willis and Moore's daughter, Rumer Willis, is expecting a child and they will be grandparents.
Since the disease was announced, his condition has worsened, the family says.
Colleagues expressed their sympathy, including stars such as Melanie Griffith, Paris Hilton, Rita Wilson and Selma Blair, who suffers from multiple sclerosis.
Breaking Bad actor
Aaron Paul
also expressed his condolences.
"Your dad is such a bloody legend," he commented on an Instagram post by Rumer Willis.
hba/dpa