The Tragedy Of Bruce Willis Keeps Getting Sadder

Bruce Willis' family announced devastating news about the actor back in 2022, revealing that he'd developed a neurological disorder that impaired his cognitive function. Because of the condition, known as aphasia, Willis began gradually losing his ability to communicate. In light of Willis's diagnosis, it was announced that he'd be retiring from acting to deal with his condition. However, his disorder added another layer of tragedy to Willis' story, since the disease might've been affecting his life long before it fully materialized. Once known for starring in hits like "Pulp Fiction," "Die Had," and "Looper," Willis closed his career doing much smaller movies that didn't fare well critically or financially.

He reportedly put out 22 of these heavily panned projects in three years, and his reputation as an actor took a blow during that time. It was later revealed that Willis might have been aware of his condition to an extent. Perhaps preparing for the worst, he spent the remainder of his career starring in what he could to save up money for his family. It was a realization that everyone only realized when it was too late. "He was ridiculed by the public, had his reputation attacked, because he did some bad movies. But it was because he knew this was coming, and he did everything he could while he had time," one fan noted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Many agreed with the heartbreaking sentiment.

Being one of Hollywood's biggest stars, there was a time when filmmakers were excited by the prospect of working with Bruce Willis. But after his initial aphasia symptoms emerged, Willis would continue working on movie sets, which created challenges for movie directors and film crews. Mike Burns directed Willis in the 2020 movie "Hard Kill," and immediately noticed there were problems with Willis' memory. The "Sixth Sense" star's role even had to be reduced for the movie to accommodate his memory issues. Although Burns didn't know the extent of Willis' illness at the time, he knew the actor wasn't himself. 

After working with Willis on their second film, "Wrong Place," Burns didn't feel comfortable working with the actor again. "After we finished, I said: 'I'm done. I'm not going to do any other Bruce Willis movies,'" Burns once said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. Director Jesse V. Johnson had a similar experience with Willis when they worked together on "White Elephant," and also came to the conclusion that he couldn't do another film with Willis. Both Johnson and Burns directed Willis in two of the many movies that hurt the star's rep as one of Hollywood's best. However, the silver lining is that co-workers and fans alike showed their support for the icon after his aphasia was revealed. One of the most embarrassing awards Willis was given had been rescinded after his diagnosis, for instance. Moreover, fans on Twitter even called out Hollywood for exploiting Willis as his health declined. 

Willis' condition has only gotten worse since his symptoms appeared, as it was reported that he wasn't able to read or walk after his illness progressed. However, there's some solace in knowing that the actor's name was cleared amid all the tragedy.