Razzies 'sorry' for Bruce Willis' 'worst performance' awards amid aphasia diagnosis

Name: Bruce Willis to leave acting after aphasia diagnosis
Uploaded: 2022-04-02T09:56:36+13:00
Description: Bruce Willis will step away from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia. Video / AP

NZ Herald

1 Apr, 2022 02:45 AM2 mins to read

Bruce Willis will step away from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia. Video / AP

The Razzie Awards have decided to strip Bruce Willis of his award for "worst performance" in 2021, after backlash following the actor's shock diagnosis.

The Razzies' founders, John Wilson and Mo Murphy, said in a statement the Razzies "have made the decision to rescind the Razzie Award given to Bruce Willis, due to his recently disclosed diagnosis".

Willis was nominated for Razzie awards, a parody award show honouring the worst of cinematic under-achievements, for eight performances in movies released in 2021.

The "Die Hard" actor even got his own "special category" in this year's Razzies, for "Worst Performance by Bruce Willis".

This week, it was revealed Willis will retire from acting after he was diagnosed with aphasia, a brain disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate.

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"If someone's medical condition is a factor in their decision making and/or their performance, we acknowledge that it is not appropriate to give them a Razzie," the statement, sent to the New York Post by the Razzies founders, continued.

They will also take back The Shining's Shelley Duvall's Razzie as well.

"As we recently mentioned in a Vulture interview, extenuating circumstances also apply to Shelley Duvall in 'The Shining'," they added in the statement.

"We have since discovered that Duvall's performance was impacted by Stanley Kubrick's treatment of her throughout the production. We would like to take this opportunity to rescind that nomination as well."

The awards also tweeted an apology to Willis after the announcement of his diagnosis.

The Razzies are truly sorry for #BruceWillis diagnosed condition. Perhaps this explains why he wanted to go out with a bang in 2021. Our best wishes to Bruce and family.
— The Razzie® Awards (@RazzieAwards) March 30, 2022

"The Razzies are truly sorry for #BruceWillis diagnosed condition. Perhaps this explains why he wanted to go out with a bang in 2021. Our best wishes to Bruce and family."