Bruce Willis' family has announced that the actor is stepping away from acting after he was diagnosed with aphasia, a language disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate.

The actor's family, in a joint statement on Instagram, shared the aphasia diagnosis that is caused by brain damage.

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, the statement read.

As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him, it read.

The 67-year-old actor is best known for his roles in the "Die Hard" franchise, "12 Monkeys", "The Sixth Sense" and "Unbreakable".

The family said they were appreciative of the "love, compassion and support" of fans in this challenging time.

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," read the statement, signed by the actor's wife Emma Heming Willis, ex-wife Demi Moore and daughters Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel and Evelyn.