If there is one thing in this world that doesn’t discriminate, that can affect all people from all walks of life: it's sickness.
Sometimes, our favorite celebrities too can fall ill with not a single miracle remedy available to save them.
This week, heartbreaking news of Bruce Willis’ health emerged, amidst a decline in his dementia condition.
Highlights
- Bruce Willis diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2022.
- His speech has worsened due to dementia, causing retirement from acting.
- Glenn Gordon Caron shares Bruce lost his 'joie de vivre'.
The Moonlighting creator revealed that Bruce Willis' speech has worsened due to his dementia
Image credits: emmahemingwillis
Last year, the 68-year-old actor, best known for his roles in Die Hard, Pulp Fiction, and many other films and TV shows, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (sometimes called FTD), his daughter shared on Instagram.
The father-of-three had reportedly been suffering from aphasia, a speech-impeding neurological condition, since 2022, prompting him to retire from acting.
Moonlighting is the sitcom which has propelled Bruce into stardom
Image credits: Hollywood Pictures
After viewing the documentary Little Empty Boxes about filmmaker Max Lugavere’s mother’s battle with dementia, she posted on Instagram that she knew “options were slim” for treating the condition.
More recently, Glenn Gordon Caron, who created the sitcom Moonlighting which propelled Bruce to stardom, unveiled his own experiences when he paid the actor a visit.
Bruce is best known for his roles in Die Hard and Pulp Fiction
Image credits: 20th Century-Fox
Glenn is still good friends with Bruce and discussed Moonlighting’s recent streaming availability on Hulu with the Germany-born star.
In a candid interview with The New York post on Wednesday (October 11), Glenn said: “I know he’s really happy that the show is going to be available for people, even though he can’t tell me that.
Glenn Gordon Caron, the creator of Moonlighting and a good friend of Bruce, kept him updated on the process of getting the sitcom on Hulu
Image credits: emmahemingwillis
“When I got to spend time with him we talked about it and I know he’s excited.”
The 69-year-old screenwriter went on to explain how the process of getting the comedy-drama television series on the streaming service had been a rather lengthy one.
However, as Bruce’s disease is a progressive one, Glenn had been able to communicate the development with him, “before the disease rendered him as incommunicative as he is now”.
Bruce's wife, Emma Heming Willis, has updated fans about his ongoing health battles
Image credits: emmahemingwillis
Glenn continued: “I’m not always quite that good, but I try and I do talk to him and his wife and I have a casual relationship with his three older children.
“I have tried very hard to stay in his life. He’s an extraordinary person.
"We are so proud of him,” Emma wrote on Instagram
Image credits: emmahemingwillis
“The thing that makes [his disease] so mind-blowing is [that] if you’ve ever spent time with Bruce Willis, there is no one who had any more joie de vivre than he.
“He loved life and … just adored waking up every morning and trying to live life to its fullest.”
The producer added: “So the idea that he now sees life through a screen door, if you will, makes very little sense.
According to Glenn, Bruce has lost his "joie de vivre" that he was known for
Image credits: emmahemingwillis
“He’s really an amazing guy.”
Glenn also confessed that he did not believe Bruce recognized him when he would come to visit him.
“He loved life and … just adored waking up every morning," Glenn said of Bruce
Image credits: emmahemingwillis
“My sense is the first one to three minutes he knows who I am,” he said.
He continued: “He’s not totally verbal; he used to be a voracious reader — he didn’t want anyone to know that — and he’s not reading now.
“All those language skills are no longer available to him, and yet he’s still Bruce.
Glenn also confessed that he did not believe Bruce fully recognized him
Image credits: emmahemingwillis
“When you’re with him you know that he’s Bruce and you’re grateful that he’s there, but the joie de vivre is gone.”
Meanwhile, Emma regularly uses her Instagram page to advocate for the awareness of frontotemporal dementia.
Bruce was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2022
Image credits: emmahemingwillis
Just last week, Bruce’s wife wrote to her 874,000 followers “how important it is for us care partners to make time for ourselves.”
Emma also occasionally posts updates of her husband, as she recently wrote in a post dedicated to Die Hard’s 35th anniversary.
“What Bruce has been able to accomplish in his career will never be lost on us. We are so proud of him,” she wrote.
The father-of-three suffers from aphasia, a speech-impeding neurological condition
Image credits: emmahemingwillis
“I have tried very hard to stay in his life," Glenn admitted
Currently, there are no treatments to slow or stop the progression of FTD, the AFTD reports. However, research is advancing, and initial clinical trials are underway.
According to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), FTD affects an estimated 50,000-60,000 Americans and represents an estimated 10%-20% of all dementia cases.
Heartbroken fans expressed their kindness and love to the Die Hard legend and his family
