By Abb Jones
The Reelness

The family of actor Bruce Willis has announced that he is suffering from a form of dementia called frontotemporal dementia, also known as FTD.

The announcement Thursday comes a year after Willis’ family disclosed that he would be taking a break from acting due to his diagnosis of aphasia, a medical condition that affects cognitive abilities. FTD is even more serious, affecting parts of the brain generally associated with personality, behavior and language, ultimately culminating in difficulty walking and swallowing. Symptoms typically start between the ages of 40 and 65. The life expectancy of people with FTD is typically six to eight years. Willis is 67.

Willis’ most recent film is Detective Knight: Independence, which was released in January 2023. Willis’ final film, the fantasy crime/thriller Assassin, which was filmed in 2021 prior to his aphasia diagnosis, is slated for release on March 31.