When was Bruce Willis diagnosed with aphasia? Daughter Rumer Willis pens heartbreaking message on Father’s Day amid health battle
Bruce Willis’ daughter Rumer recently shared a message for her father on social media. Notably, the actor’s ex-wife, Demi Moore, and other family members confirmed in March 2022 that Bruce was retiring from acting as he had been diagnosed with aphasia, through an Instagram post.
On June 16, 2025, Rumer shared an Instagram post dedicated to Bruce Willis on the occasion of Father’s Day. The post included some snaps featuring Rumer with the Pulp Fiction star and wrote:
“Today is hard, I feel a deep ache in my chest to talk to you and tell you everything I’m doing and what’s going on in my life. To hug you and ask you about life and your stories and struggles and successes. I wish I asked you more questions while you could still tell me about it all.”
The Hawaii Five-0 star said that she feels lucky to have Bruce Willis as her father and that she can still spend some time with him. Rumer continued:
“I can watch the way your eyes light up when you see Louetta I will be grateful for every moment I have with you. I love you so much dad Happy Father’s Day. Sending love to all those who are in the boat with me or have lost their fathers, to the singles moms who are the dads too, to my future baby daddy… [heart emoji].”
The lineup of photos added by Rumer on her Instagram post included a few pictures that were taken during her childhood. The first one was a black-and-white photo where Rumer was spotted holding on to Bruce.
For context, according to the Mayo Clinic, aphasia refers to a condition where an individual's communication abilities are affected. The symptoms are typically caused by a stroke, head injury, or brain tumor.
Bruce Willis diagnosed with aphasia: Health issues and other details explained
As mentioned, the Planet Terror star’s aphasia diagnosis was confirmed by his family members around three years ago. They said in an Instagram post at the time that the aphasia had left an impact on Bruce’s cognitive abilities.
The post featured a picture of Bruce Willis with sunglasses and revealed that the Looper star was taking retirement from acting. The family, including actress Demi Moore, wrote:
“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.”
A year after being diagnosed with aphasia, in February 2023, Bruce's family revealed in a statement on the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration website that the Armageddon star's condition had progressed, and he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
The family also said that they were expecting the media to focus on Bruce's health issue, which would help increase awareness among the general public.
Meanwhile, in March 2022, a source for Page Six claimed that Bruce Willis was suffering from certain issues while working in films, including that he could not remember his lines. The insider stated that the cast and crew members of the film were well aware of his cognitive issues.
The source said that, allegedly, a body double had to be used on one occasion and added:
“It became very apparent that he was having problems. So they’d use body doubles, not just for action [sequences], but for maximizing his screen time.”
The insider additionally mentioned that Bruce’s role was reduced in one of his films due to his ongoing issues. Furthermore, Bruce Willis reportedly participated in the shoot for only three days. Some projects were also filmed in locations that were near Bruce’s residence. Notably, Bruce or his family members have not responded to the claims so far.
A few of Bruce’s films that were released after his diagnosis include Detective Knight: Independence and Assassin.
