Bruce Willis Receives Flood of Well Wishes Amid Aphasia Diagnosis, Step Away From Acting

By Daniel S. Levine

Hollywood united to show support for Bruce Willis on Wednesday when the actor's family announced he would be "stepping away" from movies. The Die Hard star, 67, was recently diagnosed with aphasia, a condition that his family said is "impacting his cognitive abilities." The statement was signed by his wife Emma Heming Willis; their daughters Mabel and Evelyn; Willis' ex-wife Demi Moore; and their adult daughters Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah.

"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," the Willis family said Wednesday. "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."

"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," the statement concluded. "As Bruce always says, 'Live it up' and together we plan to do just that."

'We are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support'

Since the statement was published, Hollywood stars offered their thoughts on Twitter and Instagram. Almost everyone has worked with Willis since his career began in the 1980s. His breakout success was his Emmy-winning performance on Moonlighting. Some of his beloved movies include Die Hard and its sequels, Pulp Fiction, Armageddon, Pulp Fiction, 12 Monkeys, Sin City, The Sixth Sense, The Fifth Element, and Unbreakable.

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'He laughed a lot'

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(Photo: VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

Director James Cullen Bressack, who shot Survive the Game and Fortress with Willis in Puerto Rico last year, told The Hollywood Reporter the two often crumpled up script pages the moment they were finished with a scene and threw them in trash cans. "He and I just enjoyed doing that. Both of us competing to see who could make more baskets. He laughed a lot. I laughed a lot. It was a lot of fun," Bressack told The Hollywood Reporter.

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'Very saddened by this news'

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(Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

"I'm very saddened by this news," Die Hard producer Larry Gordon told The Hollywood Reporter. "Bruce is a good friend and was fantastic to work with on Die Hard 1 and 2. They couldn't be harder films for an actor to make and survive. He is the consummate pro and a gutsy guy."

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'I fully support Bruce and his family'

"Bruce and I have worked on over 20 films together. He is a terrific actor and legendary action star, an incredible father and a close friend," Randall Emmett, who directed Willis in Midnight in the Switchgrass, told PEOPLE. "I fully support Bruce and his family during this challenging time and admire him for his courage in battling this incredibly difficult medical condition. Bruce will always be a part of our family."

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'Sending love to you and your beautiful family'

"Sending love to you and your beautiful family," Jenna Dewan commented on Rumer's post. "Sending so much love to you, your dad and your entire family," Jaimie Alexander added.

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'Thinking of you and your family'

"Thanking of you and your family and sending my love and support," Carrie Ann Inaba wrote on Rumer's post. "Sending you big hugs, babe. Xoxoxo," Hilarie Burton wrote.

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