Bruce Willis retires from acting due to cognitive disease, family releases statement

After being diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder that has affected his "cognitive capacities," Bruce Willis, the star of the Die Hard trilogy and scores of other action films, will retire from acting, his family announced on Wednesday.

Willis, 67, rose to stardom in the 1980s comedy-drama TV series Moonlighting and has starred in over 100 films throughout his four-decade career, collecting a Golden Globe Award and two Emmys for his roles in Pulp Fiction and The Sixth Sense.

Willis is most remembered for playing the tough-as-nails New York cop in the five Die Hard films, which were released from 1988 to 2013.

In a statement, his family stated that this is a terribly difficult moment for them, and they are so appreciative of everyone's continuous love, sympathy, and support.

Willis and actress Demi Moore were one of Hollywood's most well-known celebrity couples in the 1990s until their divorce in 2000, although the two remained close after the split. He is currently married to Emma Heming, a model and actress, and has five children with both women.

The statement further read that they are moving through this as a strong family unit, and they wanted to include his fans because they know how much he means to them, as they do to him. Demi Moore and her daughter Rumer shared the statement on Instagram.

According to Brenda Rapp, a professor of cognitive science at Johns Hopkins University, aphasia is a problem that is most usually induced by a stroke but can also be caused by head trauma or, in rare situations, neurological disease. In a telephone conversation, Rapp explained that symptoms vary considerably and can impede speaking, understanding, and reading abilities. Aphasia can be remedied with speech therapy in some cases.

The news of Willis' condition saddened Larry Gordon, producer of the first Die Hard film and its 1990 sequel, who told the Hollywood Reporter that the actor was a consummate pro and a fearless person.