Hollywood legend Bruce Willis, the man behind action icon John McClane,

is now facing one of life’s cruelest battles —

frontotemporal dementia.

And according to heartbreaking new updates,

the disease has progressed to the point where he can no longer speak or read

, and is even having trouble walking.

Once the unstoppable hero in films like Die Hard and

The Fifth Element, Bruce is now locked inside a body and mind that are slowly betraying him.

Friends close to the family describe the decline as “devastating” and “rapid.”

His wife, Emma Heming Willis,

has spoken openly about the toll the diagnosis has taken on their family, saying,

“It’s hard to know if he even recognizes us anymore.”

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a rare brain disorder that attacks the areas responsible for language

, behavior, and mobility. Unlike Alzheimer’s, FTD

often hits earlier in life and advances quickly —

robbing patients of their ability to communicate.