The actor was reportedly asked to either pull up the bandanna he was wearing or leave the LA Rite-Aid -- so he chose to leave without making a purchase.
An incident that happened over the weekend began to pick up some steam on Tuesday as a photo of Bruce Willis walking through a Rite-Aid in Los Angeles without a mask on began to go viral on Twitter (above).
Immediately, users on the social media platform began to criticize the star for choosing to forego a mask even as Los Angeles continues to see a tremendous spike in active COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
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View StoryAdditionally, Page Six reported that Willis, who was wearing a bandanna around his neck, was asked to lift it up to cover his mouth and nose while in the store. Instead, according to the report, he opted to walk out of the store without making a purchase, or pulling up his bandanna.
In a statement released to People, Willis admitted, "It was an error in judgement." Without offering any further explanation or clarification as to what happened, he then urged everyone to "be safe out there ... and let's continue to mask up."
Part of the outrage over the photo comes from Willis' family appearing to be among those most passionate about adhering to safety protocols amid the ongoing pandemic.
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View StoryThe actor famously joined his ex-wife Demi Moore and their three daughters under quarantine at his family home in Idaho, while his wife, Emma Heming Willis, and their two young daughters stayed at home in Los Angeles.
Back in July, Emma talked on Instagram about the importance of wearing masks, writing, "I wear a mask to protect myself, my family and you. Yeah, it's annoying but what are the other options? Not many. So I'm going to wash my hands, continue to social distance and when I can't, I'll be #wearingadamnmask."
In December, she shared a picture with Bruce and their daughters of all four wearing "Sesame Street" masks, saying that she and her family were proud to support Sesame Workshop's COVID-19 relief initiative.
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