David Cassidy is battling dementia, his rep confirms to Us Weekly. The former Partridge Family star told People on Monday, February 20, that he’s been suffering memory loss after sparking concerns for his well-being due to a disturbing performance on stage Saturday. Find out more in the video above, and detailed below.
“I was in denial, but part of me always knew this was coming,” he told the magazine, adding that his grandfather and mother both battled dementia.
His reveal comes after the former teen idol, 66, appeared to slur his words, forget his lyrics and almost fell off the stage while performing in California on Saturday, in a video published by TMZ. During the show, Cassidy told the audience he was retiring and that his final concert would be Sunday night. The disturbing performance led some fans to worry that Cassidy, who has been in and out of rehab in the past, was intoxicated during the show.
The 1970s sitcom star confirmed to People he was retiring from performing, explaining that he wanted to focus on his health. “I want to focus on what I am, who I am and how I’ve been without any distractions,” he told the magazine. “I want to love. I want to enjoy life.”
The medical reveal comes after a difficult past few years for the former teen heartthrob. Cassidy was arrested for DUIs in 2010, 2013 and 2014. After his third arrest, in 2014, his wife, Sue Shifrin-Cassidy, filed for divorce after 23 years of marriage.
The former Celebrity Apprentice contestant, who is father to Arrow actress Katie Cassidy, also was charged in September 2015 over a hit-and-run incident after allegedly sideswiping a truck in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
