In 2010, Kevin Smith directed the critical failure "Cop Out," a buddy cop caper, starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan in the leading detective roles. Behind the scenes Smith and Willis didn't get along, and the director publicly complained about the actor in the years that followed.

Smith once said of Willis,"[The film] could have been a great experience if it were not for the fact that I met true darkness in Bruce Willis. I love making movies and he does not, at all."

Like many of Willis' fans, Smith was saddened to learn that the veteran performer is experiencing health issues. "Long before any of the Cop Out stuff, I was a big Bruce Willis fan –- so this is really heartbreaking to read," Smith tweeted on March 30, 2022.

Furthermore, the director took back the previous comments he made about Willis' dedication to acting. "He loved to act and sing and the loss of that has to be devastating for him. I feel like an a******* for my petty complaints from 2010. So sorry to BW and his family," he added.