The Partridge Family's David Cassidy Reveals He's Suffering From Dementia

Actor opens up about how he plans to move forward with the illness

By Kendall Fisher Feb 21, 2017 12:34 AMTags
David CassidyLarry Marano/Getty Images

UPDATE: David Cassidy is thanking his fans and followers for their support following the revelation that he's battling dementia. 

He took to Twitter, writing, "Thank you to everyone who has reached out offering their love and support."

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David Cassidy has been diagnosed with dementia.

The 66-year-old Partridge Family star revealed to People magazine that he is battling the memory loss disease, which has run in his family for several generations.

"I was in denial, but a part of me always knew this was coming," he said, explaining how he witnessed both his grandfather and his mother suffer through dementia. 

"In the end, the only way I knew [my mother] recognized me is with one single tear that would drop from her eye every time I walked into the room,"he reaclled. "I feared I would end up that way."

However, he has come to terms with his condition and now seeks to live his life to the fullest, exactly the way he is.

"I want to focus on what I am, who I am and how I've been without any distractions," he revealed. "I want to love. I want to enjoy life."

The revelation comes just a few days after struggling through a performance in Agoura Hills, Calif., during which the '70s heartthrob forgot the lyrics to several of his songs and slipped off stage.

Before he revealed his condition, some reports thought the cause of the rocky performance may have been alcohol. This likely stems from Cassidy's history of struggling with substance abuse.

He's seen three DUIs (in 2010, 2013 and 2014) and was ordered to seek rehab in June 2014 after his third arrest. His wife of 23 years, Sue Shifrin-Cassidy, also filed for divorce that year.

In February 2015, he filed for bankruptcy and was involved in a hit-and-run a few months later, which he was charged for in October 2015.