Frontotemporal dementia of Bruce Willis: a rare and incurable disease

The aphasia suffered by American actor Bruce Willis has evolved into frontotemporal dementia, his relatives have said. This often underdiagnosed neurodegenerative disease affects language and/or behavior.

Article reserved for subscribers

Journalist at the service of society

By Anne-Sophie Leurquin

Published on 02/17/2023 at 18:47
Reading time: 4 mins

Ct is a rare and little-known disease that has just had a worldwide impact with the post that the family of Bruce Willis published Thursday on Instagram. Far from the infallible hero roles he has taken on in the cinema, the 67-year-old American actor suffers from a form of so-called frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Last spring, the hero of the saga Die Hard had to end his career due to aphasia, a language disorder caused by brain damage. But since last year, “Bruce’s disease has progressed and we now have a more precise diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia”, explained his relatives in a press release.

This article is for subscribers only

With this offer, enjoy:

• Unlimited access to all the articles, files and reports of the editorial staff
• The newspaper in digital version
• Reading comfort with limited