The family of Bruce Willis announced via Instagram on February 16 that the beloved actor has been diagnosed with FTD.

The statement, also published on AFTD’s website, was signed by members of Willis’s family: his wife, Emma; his ex-wife, Demi Moore, and their daughters Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah; and Mabel and Evelyn, the two daughters he shares with Emma.

In March 2022, Willis, 67, retired from acting due to a diagnosis of aphasia, a condition that affects one’s ability to speak and to understand language. However, his symptoms have since progressed and are no longer limited to challenges with communication, leading to his recent diagnosis of FTD.

“Ours is just one family with a loved one who suffers from FTD, and we encourage others facing it to seek out the wealth of information and support available through AFTD,” the family wrote. “And for those of you who have been fortunate enough to not have any personal experience with FTD, we hope that you will take the time to learn about it, and support AFTD’s mission in whatever way you can.”

The Willis family’s announcement had an instant and significant impact on FTD awareness around the world. The number of visitors to AFTD’s website on February 16, the day of the announcement, was up more than 100 times compared to a typical day.

The announcement garnered widespread attention from major national and international media outlets. AFTD staff members, Board members, and volunteers were interviewed to share critical context, insight, and personal experiences.

AFTD CEO Susan L-J Dickinson, MSGC, appeared on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt on the night of the announcement, reaching a national television audience of millions. She was also quoted in a New York Times article on Willis’s diagnosis, along with Bruce Miller, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco – one of the country’s leading FTD experts, and a member of the AFTD Medical Advisory Council (MAC).

Fellow MAC members quoted in prominent articles included MAC chair Bradford Dickerson, MD (in the Washington Post) and Bradley Boeve, MD (in France’s Version Femina). Dr. Miller also talked about FTD in a February 17 appearance on Fox and Friends. Meanwhile, AFTD Senior Director of Programs Sharon Denny, MA, spoke with the British news channel Sky News and the German periodical Westfälische Rundschau.

AFTD volunteer Chuck Anastasia talked about his late wife’s FTD journey in an interview that aired on the ABC-TV affiliate in New Hampshire. And AFTD Board member Kristin Holloway – this year’s recipient of the Susan Newhouse & Si Newhouse Award of Hope (see page 11) – detailed her husband’s FTD diagnosis for the NBC affiliate in Washington, DC. (Additional examples of the AFTD community speaking to the media can be found at AFTD’s Media page.)

In their statement, the Willis family said, “Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others, and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately.”

They continued: “We know in our hearts that – if he could today – he would want to respond by bringing global attention and a connectedness with those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it impacts so many individuals and their families.”

FTD Awareness After Willis Announcement: By the Numbers

1.2 Million Visitors to theaftd.org in the month following the announcement – up nearly 19x from the prior month

More than 100% Increase in calls and emails to AFTD’s HelpLine after the announcement

More than Double The number of people following @theAFTD on Instagram (was 3,416 and is now over 6,700)