Bruce Willis spotted in rare outing after asphasia diagnosis

Bruce Willis appeared in good spirits while out in California recently, months after the shocking health diagnosis which saw him quit acting.

Bruce Willis has been spotted during a rare outing, five months after his aphasia diagnosis was revealed.

The 67-year-old US actor, who has stepped away from acting due to the condition which affects his ability to communicate, was photographed in Santa Monica, California.

The Die Hard actor appeared in good spirits as he had lunch at beachfront venue Shutters On The Beach, and was later seen taking a photo with a fan, Fox News reports.

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Bruce Willis seems to be in good spirits after having lunch at Shutters On The Beach in Santa Monica. Picture: London Entertainment/SplashNews.com

Willis was seen posing for a photo with a fan. Picture: London Entertainment/SplashNews.com

The sighting comes as his wife of 11 years, Emma Heming Willis, blasted critics who made poor comments on one of her recent posts on “grief awareness”.

Emma, 44, took to her Instagram earlier this week with an uplifting video, writing about how she was managing her “paralysing” grief by “finding new hobbies” and “staying active”.

On Thursday, the model addressed backlash she faced over the post, which was uploaded on National Grief Awareness Day.

“When you’re not allowed to talk grief, self-care, or being human in the world on grief awareness day …” she wrote on her Instagram story.

Bruce Willis and his wife Emma. Picture: Instagram

She continued to share a screenshot of negative comments directed to her that read, “She’s such a drama queen,” and “Oh she will cope just fine with his $$$.”

A defiant Emma shared her husband’s ultimate clapback in the next post.

“But in the words of the great, philosophical and insightful Bruce Willis … ‘Ah, f**k ’em.’”

She went on to respond to the harsh comments, as she copes with her husband’s diagnosis in her own way.

“So, in this crazy day and age of comments and, you know, people thinking they know you and the things and the situation, ah, f**k ’em,” Emma remarked.

“I hope that you get to use that quote as frequently as I get to use my husband’s quote. I think he’s been up for scrutiny for so many years and he’s just built this ultra-thick skin, and he could give two sh*ts. I, on the other hand, give two sh*ts.”

The pair have been married since 2009. Picture: Bryan R. Smith/AFP

Emma added that Bruce’s phrase ‘Ah, f**k ’em’ has been “highly helpful,” and she hopes that it helps others in life when dealing with difficult situations.

The legendary actor’s wife’s comments come on the heels of her opening up about Bruce’s grief.

The model shared an Instagram video montage, which depicted various activities she has been doing over the summer to cope with her husband’s illness.

“This was the summer of self discovery – finding new hobbies, going out of my comfort zone and staying active,” she captioned the post, which featured clips of her gardening, working out, playing tennis and painting.

“My grief can be paralysing but I’m learning how to live alongside it. As my stepdaughter @scoutlaruewillis told me, grief is the deepest and purest form of love. I hope you find some comfort in that too.”

Emma and Bruce married in 2009. They have two daughters together.

Aphasia is a medical condition that can affect a person’s ability to speak, write and understand language, both verbal and written, according to the US medical organisation the Mayo Clinic. It typically occurs after a stroke or a head injury.

Willis retired from acting earlier this year due to an illness affecting his cognitive faculties, his family announced on March 30, 2022. Picture: Angela Weiss/AFP

Willis’ family revealed the news in late March, saying Willis stepped down from acting as a result.

“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,” a statement read.

This story originally appeared on Fox News and was reproduced with permission