Bruce Willis‘ family confirmed the star was retiring from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, but he’s not the only celebrity with the condition.
Aphasia is language disorder caused by brain damage that affects a person’s ability to understand and communicate with others and it’s caused many actors and celebrities to have to step back from their careers.
Bruce Willis Retires
Willis’ daughter, Rumer, made the announcement on Instagram her Die Hard star father had been diagnosed with the neurological condition which is now ‘impacting his cognitive abilities’ she went on to say: ‘As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.’
However, the 67-year-old Pulp Fiction actor isn’t the only celeb to suffer from the condition. Here’s five celebrities who also suffer or suffered from the condition.
Sharon Stone
The Basic Instinct star unfortunately suffered from brain aneurysm in 2001 and endured subsequent cerebral haemorrhaging that lasted nine days. The ordeal meant Stone ended up experiencing speech issues, including aphasia and has an on-going stutter. However, Stone carries on her career as an actor.
Emilia Clarke
The Game of Thrones lead had just finished up the first season of the Emmy-winning show she was working out and suffered a subarachnoid haemorrhage, caused by a ruptured aneurysm. Clarke then underwent urgent endovascular coiling surgery, but subsequently suffered from aphasia – at one point being unable to recall her own name. Unfortunately the star then suffered from second aneurysm which was surgically treated in 2013. She continues to act and is an activist for raising awareness of the condition.
Kirk Douglas
The late actor and director suffered a stroke in 1996 that impaired his speech. The Oscar-nominated actor, who passed away in 2020 age 103, was very vocal about how the event affected him emotionally and told The Times in 1999 he ‘would pull down the blinds, crawl into bed and cry’ due to depression the condition’s impact caused.
Randy Travis
If it wasn’t enough to deal with when the Grammy-winning country music star was hospitalised because of viral cardiomyopathy, a virus that attacks the heart, he experienced a stroke in 2013 that has left him unable to speak or move without assistance. He spent over two years in daily therapy to regain the ability to do basic tasks. Travis has severe aphasia, but he’s still able to sing a few words at a time.
Gabby Giffords
In 2011 the Congresswoman was hosting her first ‘Congress on Your Corner’ event outside a Safeway in Tucson, Arizona, during the event a gunman opened fire, and Gabby Giffords was shot in the head. She then suffered from aphasia which left her unable to articulate more than a few words in a response to questions for years – however, she was still able to sing songs she learned before she attack. Giffords made a huge and persistent effort to recover and is now able to read prepared speeches – which she did in with a huge inspirational moment at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.