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Die Hard actor Bruce Willis has been photographed on a hike with his wife, Emma Heming Willis, in Los Angeles recently.
The outing marks the first time the 67-year-old has been seen out in public following the shock announcement that he's been diagnosed with aphasia.
Emma (43) shared the pictures, which were taken by their 10-year-old daughter, Mabel, with her 251 000 Instagram followers. Not pictured was their seven-year-old daughter Evelyn.
She also shared a video clip, with the Rolling Stones' Honkey Tonk Women as soundtrack, of Bruce walking through a mountainous area.
Bruce's family – including his ex-wife, actress Demi Moore (59), and their three daughters Rumer (33), Scout (30) and Tallulah (28) – issued a joint statement on Instagram last week announcing his diagnosis.
The illness, which affects cognitive functioning in the brain, has seen the actor having to “step away” from his 40-year career as one of Hollywood’s biggest action heroes.
According to a source, “everyone is focused on all the happy moments they are able to share” with the actor.
Emma, a British-American model whom Bruce wed in 2009, is said to be “trying to keep it together for him” during the difficult time.
“As someone facing health challenges, Bruce couldn’t be part of a better family. It’s been shocking. And it’s not easy seeing a spouse decline,” the source added.
The Mayo Clinic defines aphasia as “a condition that affects your ability to communicate”, and which “can affect your speech, as well as the way you write and understand both spoken and written language”.
It can be caused by a head injury or stroke, or can be a predecessor to a brain tumour or Alzheimer's disease. Bruce’s family hasn't given a cause or reason for his diagnosis.
Patients are typically treated with speech therapy and taught ways to communicate non-verbally.
Insiders working with Bruce in recent months have spoken of the actor’s struggles with reading scripts and remembering his lines.
“He was having cognitive problems," a source told Page Six. “Everybody knew, the cast and crew.”
Bruce has spent the past few years making lower-budget movies that flew under the radar, with titles like American Siege, Deadlock and Cosmic Sin.
Sources: dailymail.co.uk, Instagram, the-sun.com
