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Hana Carter

John Travolta posts touching tribute to 'generous' pal Bruce Willis following diagnosis

John Travolta has shown his support to pal Bruce Willis, who is retiring from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia.

Bruce's family made the announcement on his behalf, explaining that his cognitive abilities have been impacted by the disorder.

John, who starred alongside Bruce in Pulp Fiction, shared a snap of him and the 67-year-old.

He wrote: "Bruce and I became good friends when we shared 2 of our biggest hits together, Pulp Fiction and Look Who’s Talking.

"Years later he said to me, 'John, I just want you to know that when something good happens to you I feel like it’s happening to me.' That’s how generous a soul he is. I love you Bruce."

The pair reunited for the upcoming film Paradise City, which was shot in Maui last May.

The film's director Chuck Russell spoke to Los Angeles Times: "He was excited to work with John Travolta, and you could see the old Bruce Willis charm was still there.

"He really brought his A game, and we made sure that he and John had a great experience filming together."

The actor is best known for his role in the Die Hard franchise (Getty Images)

Bruce's family shared a statement on his behalf: "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," the statement continued.

Bruce and his wife Emma Hemming Willis celebrate her birthday with ex Demi Moore (EMMA HEMMING/INSTAGRAM)

"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.

"Love, Emma, Demi, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel & Evelyn."

Other famous pals including Sylvester Stallone, Sarah Paulson, director Len Wiseman, and Jenna Dewan rushed to send their love to Bruce and his family.

Demi and Bruce celebrating his 67th birthday (Instagram)
Bruce is retiring from acting after he was diagnosed with aphasia (Getty Images For Comedy Central)

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According to the National Aphasia Association, aphasia is an impairment of language, affecting the production or comprehension of speech and the ability to read or write.

The association reports the condition is always due to injury to the brain, most commonly from a stroke, particularly in older individuals.

Head trauma, brain tumours or infections can also cause aphasia.

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