Bruce Willis Is ‘Not Totally Verbal’ Amid Dementia Battle
Bruce Willis continues to face challenges following his dementia diagnosis earlier this year. The Fifth Element star was diagnosed with aphasia the year prior, which affects a person’s ability to express and understand written and spoken language. Now, his friend Glenn Gordon Caron, who created the ’80s television show Moonlighting, which co-starred Willis and Cybill Shepherd, is giving an update on Willis’ current health status.
Caron told the New York Post in an article published Thursday (October 12) that Willis, 68, is now “not totally verbal.” He says that in the first one to three minutes, Willis knows who he is. Adding that Willis was a “voracious reader,” but he’s not reading now. “All those language skills are no longer available to him, and yet he’s still Bruce,” Caron continues. “When you’re with him, you know that he’s Bruce, and you’re grateful that he’s there,” he continued, “but the joie de vivre (joy of life) is gone.” According to Caron, working with Willis, he saw firsthand how much he “just adored waking up every morning and trying to live life to its fullest. So the idea that he now sees life through a screen door, if you will, makes very little sense.”
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In February, Willis’ wife Emma Heming, ex-wife Demi Moore, and kids Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, and Evelyn shared in a joint statement on social media that his condition had gotten worse. They explained he’d been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Frontotemporal disorders are the result of damage to neurons in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. The following symptoms can result, including unusual behaviors, emotional problems, trouble communicating, difficulty with work, or difficulty with walking. “Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces. While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis.”
