Bruce Willis "stepping away" from acting due to aphasia diagnosis

(CBS News) -- Acclaimed actor Bruce Willis is "stepping away" from his career due to a recent diagnosis of aphasia, a language disorder that impacts a person's ability to communicate, his family said Wednesday.

"To Bruce's amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities," his family wrote in a post on his daughter Rumer's Instagram account. "As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him."

"This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support," his family added. "We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him."

The post was signed by Willis' current wife, Emma Heming Willis, as well as his former wife, actress Demi Moore, and his children Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, and Evelyn. Demi, Scout, and Tallulah all posted the same message on their own Instagram pages.

According to Johns Hopkins University, aphasia is a language disorder that results from damage in the area of the brain that controls language expression and comprehension. The disorder "leaves a person unable to communicate effectively with others," Johns Hopkins said.

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