Hollywood is still reeling from Bruce Willis’ announcement that he would be stepping away from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, a cognitive, language-based condition affecting the ability to understand and express speech. Just last week, The 2021 Razzies “honoured” Bruce Willis with his very own category of Worst Performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 movie, but they have now rescinded that award in wake of the aphasia diagnosis.
“After much thought and consideration, the Razzies have made the decision to rescind the Razzie Award given to Bruce Willis, due to his recently disclosed diagnosis,” John Wilson and Mo Murphy, co-founders of the Razzies, said in a statement. “If someone’s medical condition is a factor in their decision making and/or their performance, we acknowledge that it is not appropriate to give them a Razzie.” In the same statement, Wilson and Murphy also took the opportunity to rescind Shelley Duvall’s 1980 nomination for The Shining as well. “As we recently mentioned in a Vulture Interview, extenuating circumstances also apply to Shelley Duvall in The Shining,” Wilson and Murphy said. “We have since discovered that Duvall’s performance was impacted by Stanley Kubrick’s treatment of her throughout the production. We would like to take this opportunity to rescind her 1980 nomination as well.“
The statement announcing Bruce Willis’ retirement shared by his family reads:
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. 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. 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. As Bruce always says, “Live it up” and together we plan to do just that.
It’s incredibly sad to know that Bruce Willis has been battling this debilitating condition for so long, but it’s a perfect moment to celebrate all the amazing movies he’s given us over the years. Our thoughts are with you and your family.