Fans of Bruce Willis Search for Answers About His Condition, Life Expectancy

Fans of Bruce Willis have watched in awe, and with sorrow, as his family has opened up about the actor's health struggles. From first revealing the Sixth Sense star's dementia diagnosis, to sharing how the disease has progressed over the years, his wife Emma Heming Willis, his ex-wife Demi Moore, and his daughters have all rallied around the action star to make sure that he is well cared for.

However, as time goes on, some of Willis' fans worry about how much longer the actor has.

When it comes to the very sensitive question of Bruce Willis' life expectancy, several things need to be understood first, including the fact that there are a lot of factors at play when it comes to his condition, including his physical health, access to care, and support system.

Additionally, fans need to know that any information about his life expectancy is just speculation based on what we know about the disease and how it impacts most people. That being said, here's what to expect.

Bruce Willis was initially diagnosed with aphasia in March 2022, according to Today. At this time, his condition seemed to present with challenges when it came to reading and writing. His wife, Emma Heming Willis, said that she didn't really think anything was wrong at first, since Willis only experienced an initial change in his speech patterns, something she equated with a childhood stutter.

However, as time went on, it became clear it was more than just a speech disorder.

Later, Willis was diagnosed with a condition called frontotemporal dementia (FTD). According to the Cleveland Clinic, the average life expectancy of someone with this disorder is seven to 13 years after the onset of symptoms.

While it sounds like Willis began experiencing symptoms before 2022, the subtle initial changes caused by this disease can make it hard to know exactly when it began, therefore making it hard to determine how much time the beloved star has left.

FTD is a fatal neurological disease, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Willis' family revealed his diagnosis in February 2023, almost a year after sharing the news about his aphasia.

He was likely diagnosed through the various tests and procedures the Cleveland Clinic says doctors use to rule out other conditions, which include blood work, brain scans (like MRI, CT, or PET scans), cognitive tests, and genetic testing. There are also some risk factors that make FTD more likely.

They include a genetic history or prior traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Some of the symptoms that Willis and others with FTD face include things like hallucinations, loss of muscle control, memory loss, and trouble recognizing people. Based on what his family has said, it sounds like Willis' care is being managed at home, and that he's not really aware of what is happening with his health, nor does he know that he is experiencing any sort of decline, something his wife says has been a blessing.