According to his family, Hollywood star Bruce Willis (67) has frontotemporal dementia. They have now received this more specific diagnosis, the actor's wife Emma Heming-Willis, 44, and his ex-wife Demi Moore, 60, said on Instagram on Thursday. "While this is painful, it's a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis." Communication challenges are just one symptom of the disease Bruce is now facing, it said.

In the disease, nerve cells are first degraded in the forehead and temple area of ​​the brain (fronto-temporal lobe). According to the German Alzheimer Society, many sufferers initially notice that they appear listless and irritable. Later, memory impairment occurs.

Heming-Willis referred to the earlier announcement last March, when Willis announced the end of his film career due to illness. He was diagnosed with aphasia at the time. Aphasias are language disorders, such as speaking, understanding, writing or reading, which can occur as a result of various diseases. Since then, his condition has progressed, the family wrote on Thursday. Willis' daughters Rumer, Scout and Tallulah also shared the Instagram message.

Moore and Willis married in 1987 and announced their separation in 1998, they have three adult daughters. Willis has been married to model Emma Heming since 2009 and the couple have two daughters.

Born in 1955 in Idar-Oberstein in Rhineland-Palatinate, Willis was the son of a US soldier and his German wife.

Emma Heming-Willis on Instagram Rumer Willis on Instagram Scout Willis on Instagram Deutsche Alzheimer Gesellschaft on the disease