Bruce Willis has been quietly selling off his property empire in preparation for his retirement from acting due to his deteriorating health, friends of the star claim.
Hollywood and film fans were united in grief last Wednesday when the 67-year-old actor’s family announced he would be retiring after being diagnosed with aphasia – a disorder that affects the brain and sufferers ability to speak.
While the news was only made public in recent days, it is suggested the actor has been aware of his prognosis “for some time” and he has sold off almost $65 million (£50 million) in property.
Reports have said that the star has sold off property in New York and beyond and that he is going to focus on his life in California as he continues his health battle.
PageSix reports: “Bruce Willis has been preparing for his decline in health for some time, say friends, selling off all of his prize property in New York and beyond.
“Willis has spent a number of years selling an astonishing nearly $65 million worth of luxury properties to focus on life with his family in California.”
While a source told the publication: “Bruce has been preparing for this moment for a long time. He knew there would be a time, as his health declined, when his earning power wouldn’t be as great as it once was.
“Plus he knew that he wouldn’t eventually need multiple estates and apartments to travel between, and that he would instead need to live in a safe environment surrounded by his family.
“Looking at how he has sold off most of his properties in recent years, it is clear that he has been preparing to downsize and simplify his life for a number of years.”
Bruce and his wife, the 43-year-old model Emma Heming, sold a property for £7.7 million (£5.9 million) in December 2019 – and they slashed their asking price by $5.3 million (£4 million).
The couple had originally bought the five bedroom, five bathroom property n 2014 fro $12 million (£9.2 million) meaning they made quite a loss on their sale.
The Die Hard star also sold a six-bedroom property in the Central Park West duplex in NYC in 2018 for $17.8 million (£13.6 million) and sold his his Sun Valley, Idaho, mountain house that same year for $5.5 million (£4.2 million).
And Bruce and his wife also sold a huge home in Turks and Caicos in 2019 for $27 million (£20.6 million) – but this was $6 million (£4.6 million) less than the asking price.
The actor is also said to have sold a plot of land for $6 million (£4.6 million) on the island of Parrot Cay in Turks and Caicos just last year.
Bruce had previously opened up about his decision to sell up his homes, saying back in 2019: “The only reason we are giving it up is because we are so far from our California family, which is why we have decided to return to the West Coast and make our home there.”
Over the last week, the actor’s daughter, 33-year-old Rumer Willis, announced via Instagram : “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.”
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