Bruce Willis' Family 'Stepped In' To Take Care Of Him After It Became 'Increasingly Difficult' For Him To Act

Jul 22, 2022 by apost team

When it comes to top-notch actors in Hollywood, Bruce Willis is a name that many people would put on that list. He is most famous for his roles in action films but has also shown to have quite a diverse set of talents, appearing in films and television shows in a variety of genres and even showing off his skills as a singer. On top of that, Willis is also adored for his amazing qualities as a husband and father.

Willis was born Walter Bruce Willis on Mar. 19, 1955, in Idar-Oberstein, Germany. He grew up with a German mother and an American father, who was stationed in the United States military at the time of his birth. In 1957, the family moved to the United States and raised Willis in Penns Grove, New Jersey.

Willis discovered his passion for acting in his teens and began participating in his high school's dramatic arts program. He later moved to New York City and appeared in a few off-Broadway plays before finally finding his footing in the world of television and film.

He had his breakthrough in 1985 with the TV series "Moonlighting," and has since appeared in over 70 films. Some of his most loved performances include his short time on the sitcom "Friends," his role in "The Sixth Sense," and his role as John McClane in the "Die Hard" franchise.

In late March 2022, Willis announced that he was retiring from acting due to cognitive health issues. However, these issues were something that people had noticed in the past, sadly showcasing the actor's decline.

Willis has been a pivotal figure in the acting world for more than 40 years, which is why fans and loved ones were left heartbroken when they heard the news that he was retiring from the field. During his acting career, Willis appeared in a variety of films and television shows. Some of his most popular films include "Pulp Fiction," "Armageddon," "The Sixth Sense," "Looper" and the "Die Hard" franchise.

As John McClane, Willis shaped the image of the American action hero. The dirty undershirt he wore as the character actually turned into a piece of cultural property and can now be seen in the National Museum of American History.

In his private life, Willis had some ups and downs when it came to finding love. He married two times and is the father of five daughters. Willis first married actress Demi Moore in 1987, and the two had three daughters together: Rumer, Scout and Tallulah. Although the couple was regarded as a Hollywood powerhouse at the time, the marriage was not working out behind closed doors. Willis and Moore divorced in 2000, but they have remained good friends and great co-parents ever since.

In 2009, Willis married his second wife, model Emma Heming. Some of his wedding guests even included his ex-wife and her then-husband, Ashton Kutcher. To this day, Willis and Heming are still happily married and have two daughters together, Mabel and Evelyn Penn.

While many of his films brought him great fame and fortune, the "Die Hard" franchise is no doubt responsible for much of Willis' wealth. According to Celebrity Net Worth, he earned more than $50 million for all four movies and currently has an estimated net worth of $250 million.

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Willis will always be an icon, but when asked what he is most famous for, Willis said, "Violence, laughter and 'Looper.'" Still, the retired actor admitted that he can't help but say his famous catchphrase from time to time: "Yippee ki yay!"

On Mar. 30, 2022, the world was left heartbroken at the announcement of Willis' retirement. Both Heming and Moore posted the same picture and caption on their respective Instagram accounts, explaining that Willis was diagnosed with aphasia and therefore needed to take a step away from acting.

According to John Hopkins, aphasia is a language disorder caused by damage in a specific area of the brain that controls language expression and comprehension. This disorder leaves a person unable to communicate with others effectively and can sometimes even cause the afflicted to no longer understand the speech of others correctly.

According to Page Six, Willis was having cognitive issues prior to his family stepping in "to take care of him." He struggled to remember his lines and was actually unable to do so. A source explained: "He was having cognitive problems, they all knew Bruce was having problems. Everybody knew, the cast and crew. His family has stepped in, they moved in to take care of him."

Willis was using earpieces so he could have his lines fed to him while on set, according to Page Six. He was also reported to have used one back in 2015 for his Broadway debut in "Misery," although sources stated this had more to do with Willis feeling "nervous" about script changes than anything else.

However, Willis also had a body double for many of his scenes in more recent films as "it was increasingly difficult to have him on screen." For one project, Willis was reported to have shot for only three days. "It was becoming super obvious he was having trouble … he could not act anymore," the source explained.

While Willis may not have any new projects in the works, he does have a few that have been completed or are in the post-production stages, meaning fans of the actor will still get new material in the upcoming year or so. According to IMDb, some of these upcoming titles include "Vendetta," "Fortress: Sniper's Eye" and "Wire Room."

Willis' family members have been incredibly supportive during this time. In their Instagram posts, Heming and Moore wrote:

"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. As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him."

They continued:

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

While Willis’ family has since stepped up to help care for him, that doesn’t mean that it has been an easy process. There is clearly a lot of love in the Willis-Heming-Moore unit, but caring for someone can have its challenges. A source told PEOPLE in April 2022 that Willis’ retirement from acting and his aphasia diagnosis has “been hard for” Heming. The source added, “It’s not easy seeing a spouse decline.”

Willis and Heming have shared some of their heartwarming stories together with the world over the past decade of their marriage. In 2009, Willis and Heming tied the knot. The couple first wed on Mar. 21, 2009, in the Turks and Caicos Islands. However, the ceremony was not legally binding, so they had a civil ceremony at a friend’s home in Beverly Hills, California, six days later, according to TODAY. Some of their wedding guests included Moore and her then-husband, Ashton Kutcher.

Since then, Willis and Heming have built a beautiful family together. They welcomed their first daughter, Mabel, in April 2012 and their second daughter, Evelyn, in May 2014. Heming is also a stepmother to Willis' three daughters from his marriage with Moore. The big blended family gets along well and even regularly takes photos together for social media.

According to Elle Decor, Willis and Heming live together in a Craftsman-style home in Bedford Hills, New York, where they tend to their vegetable garden and spend time with each other and their kids. In 2017, Willis spoke highly of finding love with Heming. “I don’t want to be away from Emma at all,” he told Closer Weekly. “It’s the most singular relationship I’ve ever had in my life.”

In 2021, Heming celebrated the couple’s 12th anniversary by uploading an adorable picture of them onto Instagram. In the caption, she wrote:

“We’ve had our fair share of floating-on-air ups and disheartening downs. But he is my person. There’s no one I would want to go through this crazy thing called marriage with than with him. He’s my family, he’s given me the family (and more) I dreamed of and I love him to my core.”

Still, Willis and Heming have also worked at keeping some of their personal lives private. They appear to know when to take a step away from the media when needed. Now, it’s evident that Heming has had to step up to make sure that her and Willis’ daughters, Evelyn and Mabel, are also cared for.

“Their girls are still so young, too,” the source told PEOPLE. “Emma has to keep it together for them.”

Still, Heming’s attention has certainly been on her husband during this difficult time. It can’t be easy for a long-time actor to suddenly give up such an illustrious career and work through daily challenges. The source told PEOPLE that Heming was “working with several professionals to help” Willis and also “arranged for him to see the best doctors.” The source added:

“He has an assistant at home to make sure that he is safe, but Emma takes care of him, too. Because Bruce is older than Emma, they knew that his health might decline sooner than hers. Still, his diagnosis has been shocking for her.”

What do you think about Bruce Willis' successful career and legacy as an actor? Let us know, and be sure to send this to your family and friends.