The internet was in uproar yesterday when the news arrived that movie legend Bruce Willis had been asked to leave a pharmacy after refusing to wear a mask. The Die Hard star was photographed in a Los Angeles Rite Aid sans face covering, with the accompanying story revealing the details behind the incident.
Apparently, other customers were concerned about his lack of a mask, which led an employee to ask Willis to wear one. Despite having a bandana around his neck that could easily have been pulled up, he elected to leave the store without making a purchase.
While anti-mask folks praised Willis for his stand, the move sparked a fierce backlash from the rest of social media, who bemoaned him for his public disregard for COVID-19 safety guidelines. On reflection, though, it seems Willis regrets his actions, as the star has now responded to the incident and admitted that he made “an error of judgement” at the time. He also encouraged everyone to mask up to keep each other safe.
“It was an error in judgment,” Willis stated. “Be safe out there everyone and let’s continue to mask up.”
Of course, this was the second time Willis had made headlines since the pandemic took effect. Last year, he caused a stir when it became apparent that he was spending quarantine with ex-wife Demi Moore and their daughter Scout in Idaho rather than his current wife, Emma Heming Willis, and their two young children in LA. It was later explained that the whole family was due to hunker down together, but Heming Willis had to remain behind due to a medical matter involving her 6-year-old.
Bruce Willis was seemingly at risk of losing a lot of the good will(is) points he’s earned across his career with this incident, but it seems his apologetic statement may have helped save his reputation.