A prop master on the crime thriller “Midnight in the Switchgrass” reported that during filming the film in 2020, Bruce Willis’ aphasia symptoms were so severe that he seemed to forget he was on site.

Alicia Haverland said in “The Randall Scandal,” a new documentary from the Los Angeles Times and ABC News on Hulu that details allegations of producer and director Randall Emmett’s abusive behavior, that Willis appeared to believe he was in a diner while filming a scene set in a diner.

Haverland added that when she’d give Willis more coffee to reset the scene for a fresh take, Willis didn’t appear to realize she was being filmed and greeted her as if she were a waitress at a cafe.

“I go over to repour the coffee, and we’re probably on take number seven or eight, and he puts his hand on the coffee, looks me dead in the eye, and says, ‘Oh no, ma’am, I don’t want any more,'” says one of the baristas. Haverland mentioned it in the documentary. She claimed she tried to explain to him that she was refilling his cup for the scenario, but he didn’t get it. Instead, he asked her whether he had ordered more coffee, according to Haverland.

In the documentary, Haverland recalls pretending to be a waiter and telling him that he needed more coffee to complete filming the scenario. Willis’ behavior, she said, was “heartbreaking” to witness.

Haverland previously talked with Amy Kaufman and Meg James of the Los Angeles Times about her experience working with Willis on “Midnight in the Switchgrass” as part of an exposé published in June 2022 regarding Emmett’s claims. The new Hulu documentary is based on that exposé.

“Our stunt coordinator mentioned that he was struggling,” Haverland explained. “Our first AD saw he was having difficulty. You’d have to be blind not to see him suffering.”

Several additional crew members filming “Midnight in the Switchgrass,” told the Times that they saw Willis become perplexed by directives to kick open a door for a scene.

Haverland stated in the Hulu documentary that when she met Willis in 2020, he was “the sweetest, most soft-spoken man.” He needed an aide to feed him his lines through an earpiece he wore at all times due to his aphasia.

“We should’ve said something,” she continued, confessing she felt “immensely guilty” for not advocating for Willis, especially when Emmett would frequently start “freaking out” in reaction to the “Die Hard” star’s bewilderment.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Emmett went on to create five more films with Willis, despite telling his ex-partner Lala Kent that it was “so sad” working with Willis since he “doesn’t know where he is.” Emmett denied knowing “of any decline in Mr. Willis’ health” in his lawyer’s March 2022 statement to the Los Angeles Times. He also disputed the chat with Kent, which two individuals allegedly overheard.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Willis made the majority of his final films with two production firms in the last few years of his career. One was Emmett/Furla Oasis, Emmett’s co-owned firm, with whom Willis collaborated on 20 films.

Willis’ family disclosed publicly in March 2022 that he had been diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder that may cause loss of speech as well as trouble writing and interpreting language. Aphasia can arise after a stroke.

Willis’ family said in a statement that he was “stepping away” from acting because his aphasia was “impacting his cognitive abilities.” The actor’s condition has not been reported. Then, in February 2023, his family stated that his illness had worsened and that he’d been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, a degenerative disorder with symptoms comparable to Alzheimer’s, such as memory loss.

Willis’ representative did not immediately reply to Insider’s request for comment. However, his attorney, Martin Singer, stated in the LA Times piece that it was Willis’ decision to continue working despite his diagnosis.

“My client continued working after his medical diagnosis because he wanted to and was able to do so, just like many others diagnosed with aphasia who are capable of continuing to work,” Singer wrote. “They could be financed because Mr. Willis appeared in those films.” This resulted in literally hundreds of individuals finding work, many of whom were affected by the COVID-19 epidemic.”