Following the devastating news that legendary actor Bruce Willis would be retiring from acting and stepping away from his Hollywood life due to his aphasia diagnosis, John Travolta penned an emotional tribute to his dear friend.
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The two iconic actors are longtime friends, having starred in Quentin Trantino's cult classic, Pulp Fiction, in 1994, as well as in the hilarious romantic comedy, Look Who's Talking, in 1989.
Bruce's ex-wife, Demi Moore, with whom he shares daughters Rumer, Tallulah and Scout, announced the news in a heartbreaking post on Instagram on 30 March. The two have remained close friends since their 2000 divorce.
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John shared two unbelievable throwbacks of him and Bruce for his tribute, the second of which had an extra layer of sadness, as it was a picture of Demi, Bruce, John and his wife Kelly Preston, who passed away in July of 2020 after battling breast cancer.
The Grease star started off the somber post with: "Bruce and I became good friends when we shared [two] of our biggest hits together, Pulp Fiction and Look Who's Talking."
He included a revelatory and gut wrenching anecdote as a true testament to the Die Hard actor's character. He recalled how years after their successful movies together, the 67-year-old told the Saturday Night Fever star that: "John, I just want you to know that when something good happens to you I feel like it's happening to me."
The touching tribute
Fans of both inundated the father-of-two's comments with support, writing: "Very nice post John," and: "Two of the best," as well as: "That's an amazing thing to say to a friend!!!"
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He concluded the tribute with: "That's how generous a soul he is. I love you Bruce."
Bruce, Kelly and John in 2007
The news of Bruce's aphasia diagnosis, which is an illness that impacts one's cognitive abilities including the ability to understand and express words, was announced through a collective family post, with Demi, her daughters, and Bruce's wife Emma Hemming Willis sharing it on their Instagram accounts.
They explained that: "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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